Does this even count as a blog?

I haven't blogged as of late because it's been insanely difficult to hold on to a coherent thought for very long. I am literally exhausted trying to keep up as my brain races from one idea, haphazard thought or plan to the next.

A large part of my problem is the job. I am not happy. I don't mean to come off as snobbish, but if I had wanted to work in Administration, I would've gone to a junior college and gotten a diploma in Office Admin or something. But I didn't. I'm finding it frustrating to go week after week without so much as a phone call. Hell, I even sent my resume for a part time volunteer position without a response. I've re-worked my resume so many times that I am not sure I even know what's on it anymore.

Bah.

Look at this...even now, I can't keep my mind focussed enough on this blog. I'll be back.

Slowly now, don't want to scare them...

Slowly, the webpage is being updated. I'm starting with the content, and then going on to the design, and the reason it's going in that order is because there was already some content, and it needed to be changed.

-The Photo link now goes somewhere real! Yup, there's pictures, though not organized really.
-The Education/Career link is updated, and my True Hollywood Story is salaciously laid out for you. Okay not really salacious. More like, once you read the whole story of my education, you'll each want to slap me upside the head, to which my defense will be, "GET ROD FIRST!! HE THREW *HIMSELF* OUT OF SCHOOL!"
-The Contact page was marginally updated, and if I follow the instructions in the html books correctly, it will be completely updated with a schnazzy comments web form thingy. Don't get excited Chris, Rod's doing the work, I'm just flipping through the book >:)
-I'm still working on the links page, and I think I'm almost good to go on it...the interweb is so big and scary, I had to put together a few safe harbours to hide out in for a while.

In other news....

...JETTE'S HERE! YIPPEE! One down, dozens to go...tee hee. We went out to Surrey to see her last night, and she's got a pretty sweet little set up going on out there. There are elements of her new place that I like very much. For one, and I know she'll hate me for saying this, but it's not friggin' YELLOW! I very much understand her rationale behind the yellow in her old place, but Yellow and I never got along very well, so as far as I was concerned, those yellow walls were a conspiracy to kill me...I was just waiting for the yellow walls to drive me to insanity while "that man" gets ready to bludgeon me to death with one of Jette's frying pans. Hey, stranger things have been known to happen. At any rate, I'm very pleased to have Jette in the Trailerhood now to play with.

...Rod and I are starting to work through some financial difficulties. At the heart of the problem was Rod's lack of communcation about the seriousness of our financial situation. About 7 years ago, I was sent to collections, and probably again through a series of miscommunications and missed addresses with the Government of the Northwest Territories, and I've been working like mad to repair my credit since then. So when letters started arriving threatening to send Rod to collections, I flipped. I've been working so hard so that next time we need to buy a car, we can do it without our parents being involved, or bigger still, I am planning to use my future land claims money as a down payment on a condo, and I want the mortgage to be on good terms. Well, after a brief fight (made worse by the fact that we'd had a fight the night before, completely unrelated to the money matter), and an all-important admission on Rod's part, we very quickly and easily managed to set up a plan, and Rod's agreed to kind of try things my way for the next few months, and we'll see if that puts us on a better footing for the New Year.

...that's all. Carry on.

Quick Flick(r)

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that I will be spending weekend updating the content, and maybe even the whole look of my actual webpage, including the photos section, which I've started a Flickr account for while I work on the whole "learn to html enough to make my own photo page" thing.

By the way, much has gone on in the Poitras-Chudyk household in the last couple of days that is not good, but I'm pleased to annouce that Rod is still alive AND living in my house :)

A Fourfer!

POST #1

I'll see your 'Hearts and Minds'

And raise you Brains and Intelligence. Seriously people, I want the universe to draw back it's hand and bitchslip the fucker who coined that simpering phrase, "hearts and minds." Just slap that bitch back to the Triassic Era.

What made me lose my stomach was hearing Canadian politicians parroting it like ignorant little school children, saying it cause they heard the big people say it. You want to win something? Try the trust of the People you are supposed to be representing rather than the Party. That insipid phrase is meant to do one thing...euphamize the idea that you are hated and there's nothing you can do about it. So folks, as a free-thinking, informed individual with a talent for logic and intuition, I will now set out to win the hearts and minds...of the Bush Administration.

POST #2

Oh, by the way, you can't take it with you when you go.

On Monday before we headed to Whistler, we made a very important stop at Chapters to buy some very important materials: Power of Attourney and Legal Will kits. Why? Cause after 8 years, Rod and I have come to recognize that our lives are inextricably entwined, we're not going anywhere, and we're legally subject to the fickle laws of Next of Kin relationships. So, to that end, it's time to start protecting ourselves.

I know neither of our families would set out to screw either of us if something happened to the other, but certain laws and business rules dictate that there may not be a choice in the matter. As the person most intimately familiar and affected by Rod's life, and vice versa, and we are in the best position to judge what's the best course for the other.

Now, given that the will kit includes Living Wills and Personal Directives, it firms up my position that if I am completely incapacitated or in a vegetative state, and there's no hope for me to regain the kind of life I deem fit, Rod can pull the plug. The whole thing is designed to protect my wishes, and it protects Rod from the agony of having to make a terrible decision we hope neither of us have to face. It wouldn't turn into a Schiavo-type circus, as my parents, particularly my mother are informed of my wishes, but it would leave Rod no doubt of what he has to do, and helps him realize that it's the right thing.

Now...any suggestions on how I get Rod to work on it with me?

POST #3

Can I use Buckshot in the Hunt for a Job?

Is there an environmentally-friendly ways to flier the Lower Mainland for a good job in my field? I'll admit, I'm very picky about what I apply on, and I'm staying away from reception jobs and the like, even in my field. A bitter taste has been left in my mouth from past experiences, and it's time to get serious.

POST #4

Can we get some Chlorine in the Gene Pool Please???

Today Joey informed me that there was a news item describing how 5 people died trying to save a pigeon. Now, I love animals (just ask my very spoiled little babies), but PEOPLE!! IT'S A DISEASED FLYING RAT!! Can we get a little perspective here? Are 5 lives worth one annoyingly dumb bird's?

Darwin would be proud.

Dear Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde

I don't know why we carry on like this. It's truly time for this cycle of violence to end.

Don't you ever feel like we are trapped in the cruel maze of life, playing a tit for tat game of oneupmanship? Are we really so entrenched in our differences that we have to continue this circular existence? Is there no way a truce is possible?

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to put aside our differences. It's time. This private war we are involved in affects more than just us. I, for one, am feeling the consequences at home. I never get to see the Little Woman anymore, and it's only a matter of time before those innocent bystanders who are caught up in our little game are hurt too. Think of the children!

I leave it to you to decide whether or not to accept this olive branch I am seeking to extend to you. It's just that, at all these years, I have to wonder if there's more to life than what we are told. Is it possible to break free of the external and internal forces that keep us forever on the opposing sides? Can we indeed take our own fates into our own hands...and find peace?

Sincerely,

Pac-Man

My Long Weekend...by Fancy C. Poitras

It's been a rigorous week of soul searching. After last weekend's revelations I had to get to know myself all over again, and try to pull my life together. I'm happy to say that I've made my peace with my Las Vegas activities, but only because I've chosen the path of ignorance: I happily ignore that fact.

In other news, this past weekend was August Long Weekend (known in BC as BC Day...how niftily original), and it was a busy one.

FRIDAY

work was slow and torturous, as I cut and framed pictures. Curious, really. I also spent time sending out resumes. You see, I lucked out and tripped my way onto this website, http://www.charityvillage.com which was just about the most exciting thing I've found online since I moved to BC. It's a website devoted to Charities and NPOs/NGOs, with incredible links and tips for people in the field, and most importantly to me right now, it lists up-to-date job postings with organizations in the field. I got a little ambitious and applied on a couple of jobs that may be out of my league in terms of job history, but are perfectly in tune with my education and volunteer histories, with some very notable groups.

After work, I finagled Rod into driving out to Langley for Olive Garden, cause DAMN, I needed me some cheese ravioli...still do, but whatever. We drove through Surrey, and that's an experience I don't need to repeat again. It took too long, and it was dreadfully suburban. I shudder when I try to imagine my life in a cookiecutter house in a manicured neighbourhood. I curl up in a ball and cry. But I digress. We had a nice supper, spent the night enjoying the squeak-toy shoes a little Chinese baby wore as he toddled around the restaurant charming everyone with his fabulous shoes and even more fabulous little Chinese silk suit and matching hat (with a prince's lock attached even). It made me want one...of those pairs of shoes. Let's not get crazy here.

SATURDAY

It was up and 'atter early, as I decided we were going to venture out on a hot, hot day to the downtown core for the Powell Street Festival. Yes, you have to walk through sketchyville to get there, but it something unique to do, and I love, love, love seeing Taiko Drum performances. This one was by an all-female group, so it less acrobatic, but still fantastic, and I'm glad to have seen it.

We limped our way back to the skytrain to go home, but got sidetracked by a clearance sample sale in Gastown where I picked up a pair of silver Adidas ballet-slipper style shoes. We got home and promptly turned around and drove around to get McDonald's, Tim Horton's and Harvey's (it was a big junkfood weekend).

After a few hours rest, we were up again and heading out for the last night of the Celebration of Light Fireworks spectacle. It was Mexico's turn, and it was alright, had it's moments of brilliance, but I won't lie, I've seen better. It just relied too heavily of 3 or 4 colours. But hey, I've seen worse...anyone who saw Edmonton's Canada Day '04 debacle knows what I'm talking about.

SUNDAY

Now Sunday's the Big Day here, as it was PRIDE PARADE DAY! Yippee!! We got a decent spot at Davie on Denman, and for 2 1/2 hours, we took in the highs and lows of the LGTB community and it's supporters.

I felt sorry for the three guys taking part in the Conservative Party of Canada float (which was two guys carrying a banner, and a convertible), while The Liberal Party and the New Democrats came with a large flock. Okay, that's a lie. I didn't feel sorry for them. In truth, I could only think, "How fucking hypocritical are you going to be to get a vote?" Sure, there are gay Conservatives and gay supporters, and that's great; but this is the party that wants to repeal hard-fought-and-won equal rights for Same-sex Marriage, and you've got the audacity to turn up at a fucking parade where the whole point is to take pride in living a lifestyle that the Conservative Party would rather you kept in a closet? Two words: Get real.

It was a bright, happy, fun-filled event, lots of music and nudity :)

After it was over, we went down to Costco for a quick look around, and I have to say, the Edmonton stores are infinitely better then the one on Boundary Ave here. This one was much smaller and carried far less of the stock we're accustomed to. We'll have to see if the one over by Burnaby Lake fares batter. It was a fairly non-descript night after that. Just trying to cool down after the last two days in the sun.

MONDAY

Another lazy start to the day. We had planned to go out to Hell's Gate up at Abbottsford, but changed our minds in favour of the shorter trip up to Whistler, for a sort of scouting mission. One thing I know I'm excited about for this winter is that we're not that far from one of the world's greatest Winter Playgrounds. I'm not an outdoors-type of kid, because growing up in the North, you didn't GO outside in the winter and so I'm accustomed to toasty warm indoors, but something tells me that the less extreme weather could induce me to get back out on the slopes (but not the ice...damn, skates kill my ankles).

The drive up was lovely, filled with spectacular scenery on the road from Horseshoe Bay to Squamish. The drive from Squamish to Whistler was nice too, but I've seen more spectacular mountain vistas. I was impressed with Whistler's set up, so perfectly planned to meet the needs of anyone, and more than a little mindful of the number of injuries I saw. In the span of an hour, I noted 5 individuals with various broken or otherwise injuries limbs...that's how you know you're living in a region that is so thrivingly vital and enthusiastically sporting.

We stayed for about an hour and a half, ate, wandered the Village centre, and then turned around and drove home, where we stuffed our faces with Subway and watched E.T. The Extraterrestrial. It always makes me profoundly sad at the beginning when his ship flees without him and his little glowing chest cavity dies away in heart-wrenching abandonment. Anyone who doesn't feel even a little bit sorry for him at that point is BROKEN.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell...now I need a break from my break. Dead tired. Too busy being tired from all the excitement to stop and ponder the state of affairs in the world, let alone the state of my bathroom.