(no subject)
Many of you will be jealous to know that I have been spending this last week as a man of leisure as I wait to commence my new Investment Job on Jan 9. So until then it’s my short "Summer of George" My grand idea had been to catch up on reading, Dvd's, play vid's, and see Movies at the theatre. I've also be yearning to do something creative or constructive this week but...well I don't know if that's happening. But first where did this week all begin?
New Years eve or better now known to me as the first anniversary of when I decided that exclusively drinking double Scotch on the rocks in a very repetitive fashion is not a good idea. Better to stick to Beer or as my brother always tells me vodka; but I don't like vodka. I like scotch but from now it will be more a drink to savour not to celebrate with; the reason being that for the first time, and some will dispute this, I don’t remember everything that went on at that night at the Kings Head. By everything I only mean one thing that I am told was that I played "Golden Tee" with Ian and Mike. I have no recollection of that and I'm still not certain that I did. Perhaps I was just watching and it seemed like I was playing. Anyway it scares me not to remember such a simple thing like playing video game golf. Oh and there was the passing in and out of consciousness at johnny G's and the asking Mike if he'd ever killed a man before. Little thing like that which haven't happened on my previous beer outings. I will say one thing though the expected hang over the next day did not come with a headache and I know that beer would have supplied that Sunday morning.
Other than too much scotch though New Years was a hoot. Laurie and went with great people who as of yet have not confessed to me that I was a little too much that night. Those people in no particular order, Craig (Coach), Kevin or ssloung, Ian or iancw , Pat and Julie, Mike or Cousin Mike, and again of course as previously mentioned my beautiful lulkat . New years carried on the next at Family gathering at my brothers and I suppose came to an end on Monday at Laurie’s Brothers Bryan where we attempted a few games.
On Tuesday I all on my own went to see a matinee of King Kong, which as you all now is Long, but good. It has perhaps the best action sequence that I've seen strung together over the course of an hour and I unlike many I've spoken to I did not find the 30 mins on the Tramp Steamer to be boring at all. King Kong is not a movie that could have been written for the screen today though as essentially the film is 2 hours of cruelty to an Ape, which only ever acted, in self-defence. Fine as a remake but I don’t think it would fly as an original idea at least not a 3 hour Peter Jackson epic. To finish Tuesday off Laurie and I watched the 40 year Old Virgin, which I found to be very funny but perhaps not as funny as it had been hyped to us. Laurie I both agreed that it was longer than expected.
Wednesday was more eventful. My day was spent in a favourite Winnipeg locale of mine, our downtown, where I was to visit the boyd medical clinic to have some birthmarks removed. One on my chest and 3 on my back. A successful operation was completed in about 30 mins. I'm a little stitched up now though. The better part of downtown was a few items I found while shopping. The best being a 1981 Winnipeg Window Shoppers guide that I bought from Bison Books. Essentially the book advertises Winnipeg’s best place to shop, dine and entertain in 1981. It brought back some good memories and I look forward to showing it to my parents or older siblings who will get a good does of nostalgia from it. .....Hey this weekend does anyone want to meet me and Laurie at "Tam O'Shanter's" for a pint? You all know where it is right? 218 Sherbrook, so see you there. Remember as they say, "You don't need to go to Scotland to taste great Scottish Food...." Tam O'Shanter's os the place. Also listed was G.A.M.E.S Unlimited at Portage and Edmonton where Portage place sits now. I remember going here a young age to buys games and things.
That night with Laurie and here mother Karen we went to the movies. Laurie and Mom went to see "Walk the Line" a second viewing for Laurie who loves this very well done film and wanted her mother to see it. Laurie loved it the second time except for the reported antics of a "very special" moviegoer who was making noises of some sort through out the film. I did not go to walk the line for a second time but decided to see "Syriana" on my own while they two ladies were a few theatres over. I thought it was a great film. I thought it did a great job of showing what veiled or corporate driven Imperialism is like. Made me long for the days of very obvious and advertised state imperialism. At least then "the natives" knew what was what and who to hate. They also benefited from the guilt of the "white mans burden" which while certainly not always good did see some railroads built etc... Well I could go in more detail on this but basically I think the empires of the past especially the British Empire felt a certain responsibility for those under their dominion. Syriana showed quite well that a Large Oil Co. is just looking for profit.
Today so far I caught the 11:15 Am showing of a "History of Violence" at Cinema City. A very good movie too and is it just me or does the wonderful William Hurt not look just like sslounge in this film?
Other things I'm doing this week are having watched plenty of College Football bowl games; I was a USC bandwagon jumper this year, finised Jim Blanchard’s excellent "Winnipeg 1912” nearing the completion of both C.S Forestors "Hornblower and the Atropos" and Nial Ferguson’s World War One book "The Pity of War"
Well that's all for now but here's an NFL Pic: Patriots to win the Superbowl.