Hmmmmmm...

Tired...  (click link)

Another sad glimpse into my professional life...

...and the state of this forsaken country imho.

Sweet Mother Of the CHrist

File this under WTF???

 This ONE guitar pick sells for $50.oo...thats 1 friggin pick????!!!!!

Note to all my friends...

If I ever spend $50.oo on a guitar pick END ME!!!!!

FALL

 Were getting there..


It is thanksgiving weekend.

The bird will be served tomorrow at the in-laws and we are all really looking forward to it.

Bit of a chill in the air this morning...and it really did not heat up that much during the day either.

I did my usual 5 km run this afternoon and just about froze to death when I hit the lake portion. had to change my route a little bit just so I didn't die of exposure.

Speaking of running....

Owen has been training for his city wide cross country event which is held  a week from today.

He assures me that he is ready.

Ella is competing for the first time as well with the really young kids. She is excited.

Its pretty cute...she wants to follow in Owens foots steps.

Today we went down to Canatara Park and walked the route the kids will be running next week just so they don't get lost.

Owen has a 2.5 km run to do which is nothing for him.

There is a 5 km run the following day in London Ont that he and I may compete in... I have almost talked myself into it.... I just dont want to come in last...

 Owen won it last year...adults included.

We did the arena thing this morning for the first time this fall.

Now both girls are in skating...ugh....but even that helps me realize just how close we are....

Few little rain showers here and there but not enough to really get the fish moving  but I am sure they are ready...and so am I..

I may have even found a deal on a wading jacket...good old Cabelas

Morin Wins

My BBQ is toast.

I am one of the guys who buys a $300 BBQ and ends up replacing it every three years.

The high end stuff has been off my radar most my life until very recently.

Now I know about WEBER...the supreme excellence of WEBER...blah blah blah...

Morin has been singing the praises of this company and these BBQ's for as long as we've known each other and I get it... I really do...
Everybody I've ever talked to about the subject just raves about the WEBER's..."you'll never buy another...even a moron can make a great steak on one of those things..."...blah blah blah...

I am not a cheap skate...I can't be...

Cheap people have all kinds of money because they never spend it....
I am not that guy...

I am always broke..like I mean dried up fucking broke...

Every penny I earn, by selling my soul at my fucked up job, goes towards the kids/wife/family..I am usually left with almost nothing but peanuts in terms of 'mad' money..
I have created this situation and to be honest I am pretty cool with it even though it stings from time to time...

...and/but...I need a new BBQ.

Well you'd think that you could find a good deal on a BBQ in the fall...and there is the usual garbage that is being blown out..but these WEBER's are never on sale..

I went out to our local propane BBQ guy and the best he could do on a low end WEBER was between $600-$700...and even that deal he talked me out of assuring me that "I would be back for the $1100.00 one..."
WTF??
If I bought an $1100.oo BBQ I am pretty sure that Kim would have me sleeping in the fucking thing at the curb...

I had $500.oo tops..and mad case of the wants for a WEBER.

So Kimi and I roll into Home Depot in Port Huron MI.....and there is my bitch!!!!

lol

They have the very BBQ that local buddy is trying to sell me for $700 for $399.oo usd (and the exchange is dead even btw)..



...it is being blown out because it is the last one, floor model, missing the ignition kit a few screws and is scratched and dented...but shit!!!
So I haggle with the guy and he politely lets me know that I can take it or leave it....



Well... I leave it....and halfway across the bridge home I am kicking myself.

I make up my mind that I am heading over the next morning and getting er done.....in spite of the damage..this is my chance!!!

Epiphany!!

So later that day I decide to stop at Home Depot Canada where they have the same BBQ on sale for just over $570.oo.
I contact the manager and tell her my story..AND SHE BEATS THE USA DEAL!!!!!
Brand New without flaw!!!!

So I have yet to try this Mfer but...Morins wins...and occasionally I do too.

Little side note:
These WEBER models have a number of components mfger offshore..that is the reason they are cheaper than the big dogs..
I am cool with this...just about everything I have now is offshore..Jap car..china guitar..why should this be any different?...christ even our guns at work are made in Italy..
The guy who held the sign up to me as I was driving home from northern Michigan the other day that read "Buy American" can go fuck himself...

Steaks tonight????

Lets Burn  

Getting Caught Up

Well the summer has come to an end and we have started to slide into Fall.

This is a good thing regardless of my children s opinion.
They all love school...which is odd...

Avery was a little shaky at first but she has come around nicely.

I had a chance to observe her today through the classroom window unbeknownst  ...I had dropped Owen off from a running event and just stood outside the classroom for a few minutes spying.

Ave was interacting nicely and laughing and playing. Her teacher noticed me at one point and gave me a thumbs up.
All's cool on that front and even I have started to let go a bit....it was very touching.

I have found that the excuses that I have had over the past little while for being a disorganised mess of a human might actually have been valid.

Today was the first day whereI was off work on a day of rest and Kim had a teaching day and all the kids were in school.

I GOT A TON OF SHIT DONE!!!!!!

Lawn fertilized, house cleaned, car washed, gear organized for fall, garage cleaned and still managed practice a little on the Gee-tar..( still can't quite get the handle on Ramble On...might have to kill myself )

A house to myself...?

I may start to like this... a lot.

Last weekend the boys made a run over to Michigan to allegedly fish for Salmon.

I would rather stick a Michigan cricket in my ass then fish for Salmon...but getting drunk in the Manistee National forest right on the edge of fall is not without a certain appeal... I am IN!

It was a good time as usual. A few fish were caught and hooked but for the most part it was kinda like going to the Zoo.

..a trip to the Zoo capped off to a 10PM vist to Tippy Dam where one could witness the true hyperbarbarous behaviour that the fall Salmon run inspires..

Never sure whether to laugh or cry...

Oh well..There but for the grace of god go I ..or something like that...my fun is right around the corner and it was good to blow the dust off the Float chops.

I am usually into fish by mid October and after that November is just a hold your breath couple of weeks away.

I am going to fish hard this year.

I do need a new wading jacket though...the stink of mine is almost painful.


DSCF0979 from Gene Norland on Vimeo.

I have great plans to get Owen on the river with me this year. He is 11 and ready...although he may be bringing the Bow while I fish.

I am become 'Garnet'???

Well I have realized my true potential I suppose.

My friend Garnet trades in cars like most people switch shoes....actually scratch that... I have had my shoes way longer than G-Dawg has ever owned a car...lol

Well...long story short I took delivery of our new Mazda 5. The 2012 blowout incentives were just too good to pass up.
I had kind of made up my mind a while back that I would  just accept the fact that I am going to have a car payment for most of my life and that is that.
I know new cars are bad investments and blah blah fucking blah...but the payments really are no that bad...the car is fun to drive and I don't have to worry about break down s when we go on long trips....which we never do...but there it spins..

Anyway ...after having a talk with Garnet I called my local Mazda guy.

After trading in my 2010 for this 2012 my payments have actually gone down right around $30/Month...

I do lose my moonroof , LED taillights and super cool rims but this gets me out of putting new tires on the the older one and doing the brakes..

These cars are pretty cool and even though it confirms my neutered dorkiness I am pretty pumped..and the blue is growing on me.

Also I just confirmed that I will be playing my annual two day Jazz gig again with my friend Torrie.

Unfortunately it falls right in the middle of Steelhead season   :o/

Should be fun though.

This seven day stretch has been busy as hell but really cool.

Fishing trip this weekend and I am bringin the new car...so much for that new car smell.

Chris Potter "Underground" "Parc Floral" 2004