Changing Perspectives

Wowsers. It's been a couple of weeks, but it's ok! I have a sick note reasons! I was in Ontario, a place I shall never again badmouth, or at least will defend when others badmouth it. I got to party in Toronto, something I haven't done in years. I went to Muskoka, discovered a love of fishing, drank like a high schooler, and woke up where I hadn't planned on falling asleep. On the floor, for example. I saw virtually my entire paternal family (with the exception of one second cousin I believe) and school friends, met the "new arrivals" (Anna, the oldest, is 7), and bonded with my stepbrother's kid, Lily, the sweetest little girl whose vocabulary was only outmatched by her willingness to speak it.  I was honoured to be asked to be the master of ceremonies at my step-cousin's wedding, and discovered a love of holding an audience captive through the bullshit I wrote myself. In fact, my only regret is that I didn't get to drop the mic after announcing the bar is open.

My point is this: after 11 days in The Motherland, I saw a whole new side to the province, as well as myself, which has made it a viable destination spot in the future. Thanks to everyone that put Jules and I up at inconvenience to yourself.

I didn't wear a shirt for days.

But I'm back now.

Since I started this site, I have worked more or less full time at "the Corner" as it's known amongst the staff, a building-wide business that incorporates everything from a breakfast bar to a nightclub. It's been over 6 1/2 years since I was hired as bar back at Maxx Fish, and while I do not regret my time spent with my O&R family one bit, the time has come to move along. I recently got a job at the Garibaldi Lift Company, a restaurant/bar regularly featured on Top Ten Aprés Spots across the board. I'm so excited to move on, and pumped to be working with another group of awesome people. I hope I can keep up with them.  La Bocca put more strings on my bow thanks to Sonia and Brenton, as well as the new managers Jenny Boots and Chelsea and the rest of the staff - a group of people I'm proud to have as close friends. Considering the position the place was in 4 or 5 years ago, I'm confident that the corner has been turned, and the young(er) team will take that momentum and do great things. It's still the best patio bar in the summer, so I'll be back, just on the customer side of the bar.

That's that. You know where to find me: when skiing to the village, turn left at the bottom.

By The Way: Jerry Seinfeld's consuming webseries Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has just started its 4th season. I'm hooked, and so should you be.

Being Happy in a Grown Up World

There's a picture going around the Internet that says something along the lines of "It seems half my friends are getting engaged and having babies, and the other half keep losing their phones."Of course, I can't for the life of me find it at the minute, but rest assured it's out there (I see it about once a month on Facebook.)
The fact is, it's kind of true. In the last two weeks, one ex got married, another (my first girlfriend) got engaged, and yet another is pregnant.  If that doesn't fuck with your head, you're stronger (stranger?) than me.  It's like some bizarre version of Good Luck Chuck, that sorta-ok movie with Dane Cook and JESSICA ALBA AS A PENGUIN ZOOKEEPER WHICH IS GOD DAMN ADORABLE. The admittedly terrible premise is that anyone Cook sleeps with finds the man of their dreams immediately after. Now I'm not saying I'm the one with the Midas touch - it's the law of probability, that eventually, everyone or a large proportion of my friends will do the wedding thing.  Meanwhile, I don't even have a prospect.

This isn't a gripe session - it's sort of a lead-in to my main point. I'm about halfway through the #100HappyDays project, an idea that we tend to take things for granted.  The small things that make you smile, like a toddler jumping in a puddle, are things you document using FB, Twitter, Instagram, and/or tumblr. It's pretty interesting, a photographic challenge for the everyman. I'm using Instagram, and you can look for my pics (apparently on IG only) using #100happydayswhistler. As far as I know, I'm the only one using it. I have everything from a bacon sandwich (Day 1) to Calvin and Hobbes (Day 35) to an absolutely stunning video of motocross goddess Dianna Dahlgren wrestling with a pair of jeans (Day 18). Booty fuckin licious.
Anyway, halfway through, and I'm already a happy guy generally, but it kind of forces me to keep an eye out for things that make me smile. I'm currently at Vancouver Airport to head back to Ontario for a week and a half, so things are about to get a little more hectic than usual.

By the Way, Mountain Life is back to normal. Read even more of my crap that actually has a purpose right here.