Reflecting on history during an unusual anniversary

They say one of the hallmarks of being a Millennial is that this particular generation has lived through repeated "world-changing" events. Since I was born in 1981, I sit right on the cusp of Generation X and Millenials - I like to say that my cultural tastes are Gen X but my bank account is solidly Millenial. No matter which generation you wrap me in, I've seen supertall skyscrapers fall, stock markets crash, journalists beheaded, lived through a pandemic and as we speak - watched the beginning of the fall of Western democracy. 

Last Wednesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks - the first of those paradigm-shifting events that I would witness in my adult years. Twenty-three years ago I showed up for work in my first week of training at the Sears Call Centre in Regina Saskatchewan. As I walked through the office on the 4th floor that morning I overheard people around the office talking about airplanes hitting the World Trade Center, and another plane hitting the Pentagon and thinking to myself, "What movie did they see last night?" My innocence only lasted maybe another minute before I reached the training room and learned what had really happened. 

Everything changed. We all knew it then and looking back on it 23 years later, we can certainly see it now. This morning I watched a YouTube video called "a deep dive into the impact of 9/11 on pop culture" that highlights the struggles and changes we all saw then. I remember the discussion of humour and "how soon" being an ongoing conversation after but it also reminded me of the censorship and whitewashing that happened afterwards. Movies that had been made years before the events that may have even incidentally featured the WTC had the buildings removed. It's as though the terrorists didn't just destroy the buildings in New York, they somehow erased them from history. 

But while we all swore to "never forget", like all things, in time the memory of the events of that day faded and for many of us who weren't in New York that day - life went on. Even if it had changed. 

But it all came back for me earlier this year when I was led to National Geographic's phenomenal documentary on that day, "9/11: One Day in America". It features interviews with people who were in the building, around the building and in New York that day. It leans heavily on the film shot by Jules Naudet on the day, a film I had seen before but never understood had been taken by one person and followed a single fire chief from the very start of the event when the plane hits the first tower until after it had fallen. 

Somehow, 23 years later, this documentary was almost more horrific than the initial events. At least it re-surfaced the trauma of that day and taught me some of the horrors experienced by the people involved in a way I'd never heard of. Stories of people encountering still-alive passengers from the planes (albeit barely), the shocking experiences of people who watched the plane hit from inside the building and the horrific bravery of the firefighters and police officers who started climbing the steps, fully aware they'd never walk back down them. 

It makes me realize that those of us outside of New York (and indeed Washington) had been insulated from the day. We had the truth censored, usually out of respect for the victims, but maybe also so we could continue on. We all know about the jumpers and we've seen photos and videos of them falling - I've never seen them land and never want to. But in the documentary, you can hear them land - and that's horrible enough. And sometimes we didn't learn because we really didn't know - some of these stories have taken years to surface. 

And maybe I just chose to see it through a lens. Being thousands of miles away, in a different country with different experiences, maybe I chose to only see the parts that served me. Like many, I watched those events and my first question was, "What did the U.S. do to cause someone to respond like this?" Nothing that happened that way was just but it's also clear that people don't perform suicide attacks on office workers if they're being treated well. I don't buy into conspiracy theories about Bush doing 9/11 - but I also don't buy the narrative that the U.S. is an immaculate house on a hill - an argument that's much easier to make in 2024 than it was in 2001. 

But we all have a lens. One of the repeated statements from eyewitnesses and victims of that day is about how gorgeous a day it was. Clear blue skies - no cloud in sight. But that's not my memory of the day. I watched the attacks and the buildings collapse on an old TV with bunny ears picking up the broadcast of a local station. The reception was terrible and the images were mostly in black and white which caused the sky to look grey and depressing. Even after 23 years of seeing full-colour photos of the day, my mind still remembers a cloudy morning. 

I've never been to New York, but that city has constantly touched my life. Television, music, movies and world history have all happened in the Big Apple and been broadcast to the world. Twenty-three years after this attack, we still see the effects - both negative and positive - throughout our culture. I often wonder if the terrorists knew just how far-reaching their attack would be both geographically, socially and through time. I suppose it doesn't matter what they intended, it happened it is for us to react, respond and remember. 

"He never goes anywhere"

I've been trying to write a song over the last few weeks about how I never travel. It's got some good musical elements but lyrically, there's not a lot there to work with yet. The downside of discussing not doing something is that there's no experience to talk about. But this weekend I took a trip to Toronto and brought my notebook should any inspiration come up. 

We arrived in Toronto on Saturday morning and were immediately picked up by my sister Michelle who whisked us off to Burlington to watch my niece, Adelle, do some cheerleading before zipping off to Niagara Falls. Why was Michelle so committed to taking me to the falls? Well, I've never been so that's something but it came out while we were there that Mom instructed her to take me because, "He never goes anywhere." 

Touche. 

But it's true. I rarely go far, most of the time it's just camping. Or if I do go somewhere it's for work. I mean - I flew to Winnipeg to see Tool last year and saw Queens of the Stoneage in Saskatoon. That's something, right? 

The Niagara Falls are very cool but only for about 30 minutes. I'm glad it was tacked on to another trip because I would have felt bad going all that way to be delighted for just a little while. We also had a grand time at a winery where my newfound teetotalling made me a punching bag for the winery staff. But the cheese guy loved me. 

Visit my Instagram post about this day.

Sunday was concert day. We spent much of the day zipping around downtown Toronto, pretending to grab the CN tower, navigating TO's horror of a transit system and visiting with the rays at Ripley's Aquarium. 

The show was amazing featuring three bands I hold on a pedestal; Dinosaur Jr., The Flaming Lips and Weezer.

Dinosaur Jr. was one of the bands I was most excited to see and strangely, the one I've listened to the longest. The song "Out There" was featured on the Wayne's World soundtrack, my first CD, and while many would find it to be discordant and maybe a bit weak vocally, I was in love then and I was in love again on Saturday. My biggest complaint is that they only played 25 minutes. Don't drag a band that far just to make them play a short set. I'm going to try and see them again someday. 

After the pandemic and the difficulties that hit the live music industry, I had convinced myself I'd never see the Flaming Lips live. They are a special band to me, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is one of my favourite albums and "Do You Realize" was the song Rhonda and I chose for our first dance at the wedding. The Flaming Lips were beautiful live, the harmonies were even more layered and gorgeous than the albums. I spent much of the performance weeping and wishing for better seats. 

The set for Weezer wasn't that new. We'd seen them in Saskatoon in 2017 (Saskatoon, South Africa according to the typo on the concert t-shirt I bought). The set this time covered the same ground. The difference was the very theatrical production. It took the whole show to another level. There's nothing more fun than watching awkward nerd musicians trying to act. Plus any chance to hear the Blue Album live is a good one. I hope to repeat this trip in a couple years when Pinkerton hits its 30th anniversary. 

Thanks to a very late departure from Pearson, we also had much of Sunday to run amok in the '6. We spent the day on and around Queen St, checking out the pretentious shops, visiting the endless Graffiti Alley and Rhonda even managed to get a pole dance class in during the afternoon. A wonderful hour I spent watching squirrels in Trinity Belwoods Park. 

Overall - a massive success of a trip. We packed a lot of good times into those three days, I've only really scratched the surface between this post and the Instagram posts about the trip. It's hard to wrap up the chaos, the new sights and everything that happened. I can say for sure that this old hayseed had a great time in the Golden Horseshoe. And this old hayseed is glad to be back somewhere familiar where he can run with some of the inspiration derived from the weekend. 

I do want to highlight how amazing it was to share the weekend with Rhonda. It was a "birthday, Christmas, anniversary and promotion" gift and while I wish we didn't need a reason, I'd take one good trip with her over a dozen presents any time. Our adventures are rare but they're epic and the memories of this trip won't soon fade. 

Football - a lament

I should feel better about this past weekend. Not only did I get to attend two live football games, one included my current favourite team - the Regina Peewee Vikings, and the other was the Labour Day Classic with my usual favourite - the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

I always say that a close football game is a good game. And indeed for both games, that was the case. Either team had the win up until the last moments of the game. But I would have preferred some wins. 

For the Vikings, they suffered their first defeat (and first points scored against them) this weekend. With a 22-16 finish, it wasn't that bad and the players need to experience a team that was hard to beat. On the positive side, Jonas finally got a few hits and pushes during the game and is really taking to football.

We found out late on Saturday that we'd also come into some free tickets to the Labour Day game. I don't remember the last time I went, but it was back when Bombers fans were a fun group to pick on. This time, they just seemed annoying. Most of it really was in good fun but when a particularly drunk mongoloid of a fan started picking on me in the 3rd quarter - well I lowered my shoulder and got to firing back. I don't think he really liked me reminding him to wash his hands when he was done in the bathroom. Probably doesn't know how soap works. 

No matter how much their fans smelled like rotten onions, the Bombers came to play football and held on to win the game 33-30. Another close match I wish we'd won. But the Riders are struggling through this second third of the season and need to figure out how they'll fix things to finish off the 2024 run. 

It was a jam-packed weekend with lots of socializing and events. I'm happy I survived but it's the first time in a while I've been happy to be back at work so I can catch a break. And next weekend is going to be even busier. More on that in next week's post (hint: it will be my first Pilot's World on location in ages and in a completely new place the blog hasn't visited before).

Parenting Realized

One of the biggest parts of my life that's been missed in the Great Non-Bloggening, and indeed part of the reason for non-blogging, is parenting three fascinating children - Tai Lin, Kayah and Jonas. Three amazing people, each with something marvellous to offer the world and endless potential. 

So, a real pain in the ass.

I can't say that I've really taken to parenting. I take it seriously and do my best to give them everything they need but were I to make the choice with today's knowledge - I dunno. I know I've never achieved the kind of "parenting is so special" feelings that my mom and others push on me. It's been a lot of hard work with very few benefits coming back my way. 

But this past Friday was different. 

Over the past year and a bit, Jonas has taken to football. He plays constantly in the schoolyard with his friends and has even broken his nose a few times going for a pass. So when he approached us begging to play tackle football in the Regina Minor Football league, who was I to say no? 

We got him signed up and started in. He was assigned to the Peewee Vikings, a fortuitous team assignment since the Minnesota Vikings are the favourite team of Jonas's papacy-pursuing grandpa. As things got rolling for the team, a call went out for volunteers to coach and manage. I have no experience coaching and some recent health issues mean that I might not have the mobility needed to coach so I put my hand up to manage. 

Not my smartest move. 

Managing has been a bigger challenge than I ever expected. Since none of my kids have done sports at this level, there's a lot that I didn't know about the culture and way of things. I'm learning but it's been a very steep curve and a lot of work. Add to that the fact that the person who was going to co-manage and mentor me a bit has been absent and largely an issue herself and - it's been frustrating. 

But boy when those kids get out on the field to play. After two games, the team is not only undefeated but they haven't let their opposing teams score a single point. All thanks to Jonas's impenetrable defensive line! 

The game this last Friday was extra exciting. Not only did they produce a 50-0 finish, but Jonas made his first big play this weekend with a fantastic interception. To celebrate, we went out for wings at Jonas's request. I was advised that the phrase was "winner, winner, chicken dinner." Who am I to argue.

Watching Jonas take so strongly to something, enjoy himself deeply and just excel at it has given me a taste of that satisfaction in parenting. Friday night might have been one of the happiest evenings I've had in a while, just celebrating his victories and feeling like my efforts have been for the right cause. 

And there's a lot more to it than the victories. Getting the chance to talk with Jonas on the drive to practice, sharing new stories, watching him face discipline and adversity and pushing through and just generally watching him grow and come out of his shell. It's very satisfying. 

And of course, it's given me the chance to enjoy Jonas's fantastic humour. He's always been funny, from a little baby, this kid knew how to laugh and make people laugh. Every time he's been in deep trouble, it's been a joke he took too far. 

After his first game, I noted to him that the first play off the game was on the 44-yard line, the final score was 44-0 and his jersey number is 44. How did he reply?

"Woah. I'm the main character."

Main character indeed. I better not tell him he caught that interception on the 44-yard line. 

The Room

I think that eveyone wants a place to call their own. I certainly can't say that I'm underprivileged in this respect. I have a wall in the garage to store my tools, a corner in the office for my amp and a little desk to pile all the crap I never complete on. Not to mention that I've basically sculpted the kitchen in my image. But these places have never quite added up to the space that I've always wanted.  

But these little corners crammed in amongst the living space I share with my family has never quite met my vision of a space to escape to and be creative. 

I think the first time that I really saw the kind of thing I was looking for was Le Studio, the maker space used by one of my favourite food YouTubers, Alex "French Guy" Cooking. I liked the idea of having two disparate creative spaces in such close proximity - and it had never occurred to me to put a kitchen and workshop together. And I continue to think that maybe it isn't a good idea anyway. I'm not one for sawdust in my macaroni salad. 

But I would love to have a space that is a bit sound/practice studio, a bit workshop, a bit hangout space and a bit office/den. I think I can keep the kitchen where it is. 

In many ways, I could probably make this happen now with the resources I have. As mentioned, I have some space in the garage but there's limitations there. It's not heated so it becomes unuseable for about 5 months a year, especially for a hangout or studio. The basement is a space I could make fantastic use of but the ceiling is shorter than I am and there is a serious shortage of lighting and electrical outlets. 

But of course, I often think about how much I'm flexing my privilege just by wanting a space like this. I'm lucky enough to be a homeowner and that reality alone makes it possible to have the little cubbies I do. Perhaps in time I'll put together some money to update the electrical in the basement or weather proof the garage. And I suppose the biggest thing is figuring out if I could even justify the cost and effort of having such a space. It's one thing to dream about it, it's another altogether to actually find a use for it. 

What kind of spaces would you like to put together like Le Studio? Is it required by law to have a pinball table in it?  

The big Lie

 I've really been enjoying the return to blogging over the last few months. It's a fun creative outlet and I finally have somewhere to dump my tirades and deluded manifestos. But saying that this return to blogging is a 2024 trend is not quite the truth. 

No, I'm not talking about my recent move into professional communications. I do spend a lot of time writing articles, news releases and other stuff that could be called "blogs". But that's not what I'm talking about.

This is hard to admit. 

I'm a food blogger. 


If it's any consolation, I'm not a good one. In fact, I'm downright lazy about it. 

It came from repeated requests from all three of the kids to start writing down the recipes of the food I make for them. Fried rice, "homemade" hamburger helper, pizza, corn salad, lemonade and a million more recipes are a big part of my family's diet and something that the kids want to preserve and carry on. I'm honoured. I suppose. 

Typically, the request was that I should write a cookbook. But I haven't used a cookbook in decades and I've noticed that this internet thing doesn't seem to be going anywhere. So I figured why not start a food blog with my recipes.

And so was born An Orange Kitchen. 

I don't post very often, and I find it challenging to put into words some recipes that are more about technique than they are ingredients. It's why my pizza and fried rice recipes still haven't been posted.

The only rule I have for the blog is no preamble. The recipe must come first. I can (and do) post-amble, it's fine to give a recipe a story or some context. But no one... hold on a sec. FOOD BLOGGERS PAY ATTENTION - NO ONE WANTS TO READ YOUR LIFE STORY WHEN THE'RE TRYING TO GET A RECIPE FOR SOUVLAKI. It can wait until I learn how much pork I need. 

I do hope to continue contributing recipes, maybe get a bit motivated to write up the more complex ones and who knows - maybe one day I'll put some money down and get the recipes bound up into a book I can give out as a present. But for now, it's a work in progress. And it's a lie. A big old lie. 

Squeezing humour out of a stone

 A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I'd found some new inspiration and was working on doing a music/humour project. It's been a bit frustrating trying to find the time to work on the project but I'm happy to report that I've got 4 songs in various levels of completion and a notepad full of more ideas. Really it's just capacity slowing me down. 

I picked up some books recently to help me along the path, 5 Tight Minutes, A guide to Joke Writing, Performing and Selling and Comedy Writing Self-Taught Workbook. I don't have a comedy mentor to ask questions of and I'd really like to make my first public appearance with some level of study and expertise. Today's blog post is based on Exercise 6 from the Self-Taught Workbook - In the News. 

The exercise challenges the reader to find a news article, become familiar with it, then answer a series of questions in a funny or humourous way. So let's give it a shot! 

The first challenge is just picking a news article. Not all news can be laughed at, at least not at first so you've got to walk a particular line when picking. For my part, I chose "Saskatchewan moves to restrict cellphone use in all K-12 schools."

Now let's find the funny!

Who is affected by this?

The people who are most affected by this change are the teachers who can no longer depend on cell phones to distract students when there's no good lesson plan. Teachers across the province are being forced to re-learn the rules for 7-Up

Who is happy about this?

Finally, those nuts at the farmer's market talking about the dangers of 5G and contrails are having their voices heard. At least for 8 hours a day, our kids will be protected from damaging radiation. Still no word on fluoride in school water. 

Who is upset about this? 

Saskatchewan parents are most upset about this change as they now have to listen to their school age children complain about not having their phones in class. For the first time in over a decade, parents and their kids are being forced to interact using their voice boxes. 

What would happen if this happened at a different point in history?

Had this kind of ban happened in the late 1800's it's possible that the entire Communist uprising of the 1900s would not have occurred. By taking away the means of communication from students, such toxic ideas would not have been spread and perhaps we could have avoided a long and costly Cold War. Unfortunately, the means for banning cell phones did not exist in the late 1800s. 

Will it affect daily life?

Yes, students will now awake to the world around them and finally realize that our schools are under-funded and falling apart. 

Will it affect my wallet?

This will have a terrible effect on my wallet when my kids have their phones taken away and convince me that I need to buy replacements so that I'm able to continue communicating with them at home. 

What changes will take place because of this? 

Phone charging demands will plummet across the province. This will lead to a surplus of energy in the provincial power grid and facilitate the decommissioning of several coal-powered electrical facilities. The resulting reduction in greenhouse gases will cause winter to start two months early in the province, draining municipal snow removal budgets, bankrupting the province. 

How will it affect the future?

Students will lose the ability to ignore adults while watching videos of Japanese women eating ramen. As a result, the brains of Saskatchewan youth will shrink by 10%, creating a rush of purchases for smaller hats and toques across the province. 

Will there be long-term effects?

The reduced wear and tear on the mobile devices of such a large section of the Saskatchewan population will permanently lower sales of these devices across the province. The reduced income will bankrupt the Crown-owned SaskTel resulting in a complete collapse of the provincial government. 

What would famous people think of this?

When we reached for a comment, representatives of musical artist Chappelle Roan informed us that all new releases are on hold until this situation is resolved. Without students consuming her music during school time, there is no financial viability for her and all projects are on hold. 

What would the Average Joe say about this? 

We took to the streets of Saskatchewan to find comments on this situation from the general public. Most everyone was too busy arguing over whether Twisters is better than its pregenitor Twister to comment. 


A fun little exercise, and aside from taking it out to some extremes, I'm not sure this was overly funny. But a good exercise nonetheless. I'm eager to keep working through my books, keep writing, practicing and hopefully soon - performing! 

Bronco! A car game for the whole family!

Over the years, I've tried to leave my mark on society by introducing a new saying or meme that takes the world by storm. Stuff like making the phrase "boss" popular again or making it acceptable for men to wear skirts and carry a purse.

So far - no luck. 

But Rhonda and I came up with a fun car game a couple of summers ago that we've found to be immensely fun and I think just maybe - this one is gonna stick. 

The game is Bronco. 

Genre-wise, Bronco is very similar to the classic 20th-century car game, Punch Buggy. The issue with Punch Buggy in 2024, is that production of the Volkswagon Beetle was discontinued in 2019, and the original style Beetles have been gone since 2003. That means fewer and fewer of these rotund jalopies are left to spot. 

Like Punch Buggy, the goal of Bronco is to spot the target vehicle while out on a drive, in this case, the Ford Bronco, and shout out "Bronco!" when you see it. Being Millenials, and also two people trying to preserve a good marriage, we've taken out the requirement to punch the other player on the arm, but we are still quite verbally abusive while playing the game. If you're the first to call out the Bronco, you get a point. 

But why the Ford Bronco? Why not a Rav 4 or Honda Civic? It all started in August 2022 when Rhonda and I went on a weekend camping trip to Candle Lake. On the drive, Rhonda noticed a LOT of Broncos on the highway, especially around Watrous. And as easy as that - the game began. 

It took a few months of playing to realize just how perfect the Ford Bronco was for such a competition. At its very core, the Bronco is a meme car. Obviously, it all started with the OJ Simpson Bronco chase in 1994. A chase so famous that it kept the dying vehicle line alive for a couple extra years. But the newest lines of the Bronco, released since 2021 lean even harder into its meme status with the Bronco name emblazoned across the grill in 20,000-point lettering. You can read it from a quarter kilometre away. 

That large name badge makes for a very low barrier to entry into the game. At first glance, there's little difficulty in identifying a Bronco because the name is right there. But that simplicity is deceptive and we've found that misidentifying other SUVs is more common than you would expect. The Toyota Land Cruiser's round headlights look much like the Bronco's from a distance, nearly every modern Ford SUV and truck has the same style of rims and newer Jeep ragtops look strikingly similar to a Bronco from behind. And if you get caught calling Bronco on a non-Bronco vehicle - you're deducted a point. This can really swing a game of Bronco. 

We've added the odd rule to the game, mostly for fairness. You can't call Bronco if it's parked. This was mostly to avoid calling the same camped Bronco that you know is coming up - like the one parked on Dewdney Ave E every time we drive by. You also have to point out or describe where the Bronco is so that the other player can confirm. 

We still haven't heard back from the control centre about what the scoring would be if we saw an original, pre-1996 Bronco. They're exceedingly rare these days so I haven't seen one lately. But I'm inclined to think that spotting one should be worth anywhere between 3 and 5 points. I'm leaning towards 5 due to its rarity and difficulty to spot - at least the early editions didn't have that gaudy grill lettering! 

Much like Who's Line is it Anyway, the points don't count and the only time anyone cares is when a Bronco has been spotted. We keep a mental tally on a particular trip but it's forgotten as soon as the ignition is turned off. We do not carry points forward unless it's a long day of driving or doing errands - then we might keep a rough score the entire time we're out. 

Perhaps one of my favourite side effects of this game is how it's wreaking havoc on my social media advertising. Keep Facebook or Instagram open on your phone while you play (but don't use your phone while driving) and soon your feeds will be full of ads for Broncos, tires, upgrade packages and more. Poor Ford Motor Products has spent a small fortune advertising a vehicle to me that I will never buy. 

What is your favourite car game? What do you think the score should be for spotting a pre-1996 Ford Bronco? Will you try and play Bronco with your friends and family on your next road trip? Let me know in the comments! 

Never go back - you can never go back.

It happens every year. I take a couple weeks of summer holiday and by the time it's time to go back, I'm convinced I was never meant for office life. 

Obviously, my view of things has been a bit tainted. While I have been away from office life for 2 weeks and enjoying the pleasures of that absence - I haven't exactly been working either. Sure, I knocked a couple things off my to-do list, but mostly I slept in, smoked a lot and found my creative spark. And it's that creative spark that has me longing for a life that doesn't include a grey cubicle or drinking the corporate culture kool-aid. 

Early in our holiday, Rhonda and I were able to sneak away for one night without the kids or dogs to "trip the light fantastic." Before we started, we checked on each other's intentions and what we wanted to find. For my part, I was looking for insight and connection. And I'll say that in a large part, I really didn't find what I was looking for that night which I did find a bit troublesome. In fact one of my biggest takeaways was that I really spent the night more impaired than inspired - and a bit annoyed. 

One of the landmarks of our rare journeys to the mental unknown is that Rhonda gets a massive case of the giggles and I can't stop making jokes. Or sometimes worse, I'm not even making jokes, Rhonda just finds everything I do funny. It's a delicate balance to walk because after an hour two of laughing until we cry, it gets a bit worrisome. And I'm trying to balance that with a barely functioning brain. 

Fortunately, a few days later, I was able to see that this natural tendency towards humour was something that I need to start leaning into a bit more. I started thinking about humour musicians I've listened to over the years, Tenacious D, Weird Al, Flight of the Conchords and so much more. I've been playing a ton of acoustic guitar this summer and bringing it out at every social event I can but I'm really not bringing anything fresh to the mix. It's just me strumming some old covers with my barely passable cowboy chords. Fun but not fulfilling. 

By last Wednesday, July 17, all the rest and pondering finally clicked in to place and I had what was certainly my most creative day in years - maybe ever. I had put major work into a game design document (for a Minecraft project I'm unlikely to finish), a new humour music project proposal and had written lyrics and music for two songs to use in the humour project. Plus I've got seed ideas for about 6 more songs in my humour project doc and I'm excited to put together a few funny, well practiced songs to start showing people this fall. 

But of course - balance shows up again. I've volunteered to be the team manager for Jonas' pee wee football team and that's very busy right now. Not to mention the to-do list I posted last week, a new promotion at work and my need for regular sleep means that as excited and productive I've been, I'll need to pace myself and not get too far ahead of myself. 

But everytime I see a posting for an open mic, I wonder if I should head out. 

I suppose it's better to be busy than bored and the challenge that the next 3-4 months offers is going to leave me in really good shape to move forward into the new year and beyond this year. And if I'm lucky, I might actually get out to one of those open mic nights sooner than later. 

Intentions, Resolutions and and growth

I took a different approach to the concept of the New Year's resolution this past year, which proved successful. Instead of taking on something that was a change in habit or behaviour, I chose two relatively simple tasks that I've been putting off that are "one and done" tasks that would make me feel overall better about my world and my place in it. Those two tasks were:

• Update my spice rack - my spices were an extension of the setup I started in college. A hodgepodge of bags, bottles and jars with more than a few flavours turned to dust. I updated to two nice wooden boxes with 2-dozen new jars in each.
• Update my closet - just like my spice rack, my closet is an assortment of every dollar store, dry cleaner and inherited hanger I've acquired since college. A few dozen packs of nice wood hangers make my closet look nicer and more consistent.

Certainly, neither job was hard or even that expensive. But they were unnecessary - both systems performed their required tasks the same before and after the change, but they were more mental upgrades for me. "Adulting" as Rhonda and I would call it - actually acting like an adult. 

Part of the commitment was to see the task through completely. I initially didn't buy enough to finish the project - too few bottles for my spice collection and too few hangers for my wardrobe. So it necessitated follow-up visits to the store to fill out the collection and a couple more hours to finish the job. 

I acknowledge that for many people, this is just a Saturday afternoon job but it was a seed for me. Last year was a difficult one as my gout attacks dominated so much of my life and activity. By New Year, I was ready to start taking action to get my shit back together and start feeling better about my world. Changing something unnecessary but still useful seemed like a good start - and I knew it was achievable even if I was limping around on my cane. 

With 2024 over half done and with today being my 43rd birthday, it's a good time to take on a couple new challenges. Why wait until the pit of winter to make something of myself? Plus this is blog post 800 - a nice round number to take stock.

But this time, I'm making a few more intentions and will look a bit more to the future for some of them. 

Short term - in the next 3 weeks

• Get my eaves cleaned and my downspouts fixed - these are overdue jobs and ones that I really need to get my shit together on
• Fix the camper - not just the broken lift cable that threatened to completely ruin my holiday but also do some waterproofing of the shell, lube everything up etc.
• Get a garbage truck to the house - get the pile of crap out of the yard and feel like there's less weight on me.
• Finish building my keyboard - it's mostly there. It works and I enjoy it. But it needs some re-programming and a rebuild to solder a broken lead. 

Mid-term - before the snow flies 

• Fix the deck - replace all those rotted boards, paint and get some lighting up for Rhonda.
• Clear out the garage and basement - this is a bigger job than it first seems. I need to pull back on some of the hobbies I won't pursue far because of my mobility issues. I need to sell off a lot of crap and focus on a few things. 
• Replace everything in my sock drawer.

Long term - 5-year plan

• Buy a cabin/cottage - this is not a new idea or discussion but my commitment to it solidified this week. I realized I have no desire to get a bigger/better camper and that what I really want is a quiet place to have a fire and enjoy some time.

Rhonda and I have already started to discuss what steps we would need to take to realize this dream and for that matter - even see if it's possible. The spreadsheets have already started and we've committed to talking to the bank about starting a savings account to get this done in the next few weeks. The rough idea right now is to look at the market, find out how much a cabin that would fit our needs will cost, figure out what the loan, insurance, taxes and utilities would cost and start socking that money away into savings now. In a few years, we'd have the money for the downpayment and incidentals. It's still a long wait but it would be progress and we foresee having our escape by the time the kids are done high school. 

I do keep to-do lists, both physical and in my head but I think that putting goals down in a forum like this can help make them come true. I hope to report back in a few weeks about my successes and struggles. And I hope that my plan for a cabin takes less than 5 years!

Blogging from the woods.

During the Great Non-Bloggening™, Andrew and I hosted a radio show called The Cockpit. It was a rock-centred show we hosted Thursday nights for about 5 years on CJTR. I enjoyed every minute of doing it but my commitment to helping out, a pandemic, and one of our key players getting traded to Saskatoon for a slice of peach cobbler and a scratched Boyz 2 Men CD spelled the end of the show on Dec 31, 2020. 

One of the fun ideas we had during the show was the Saskatchewan Summer Playlist, a Spotify playlist of songs by Saskatchewan artists. My thought was it would be something great to listen to at the lake or backyard party. Music to listen to under living skies. 

Once the show finished, the paths to new music didn't stop and I wanted somewhere to dump my discoveries. It resulted in my first summer playlist. A pure jam of songs that are already nostalgic only a few years later. 

As I repeated the same tasks for playlists in 2022 and 2023, it's become really quite effortless. Every weekend I check out what is new, add the bangers to the list. Sprinkle in the odd song from a band we see live, heard on the radio or learned on guitar.

Years later, I'm still capturing that lake vibe, I always know it's going to be playing for my family and other people so I often find myself plucking out some of the heavier/screamer bits. But they still get in there.  

While it's not the all-Saskatchewan playlist it originally was, it still does feature its share of local and small artists. I feel unapologetic about my quota.

As I sit in my campsite listening to this year's entry*, I'm proud of what I've put together again. If you take a listen and have a suggestion, let me know! The list isn't usually done until late September. 

* You hear that Pilot from the past all blogging from his BlackBerry like it's a thing? I'm just sitting here in a campsite like it ain't not thang. With like 1998 dialup speeds. And my phone really isn't much bigger, or frankly different or does much new. Some things never change. WAIT UNTIL YOU LEARN WHAT AI IS UP TO IN 2024! Still nothing really. 

A curious event at a football game.

Last Thursday, July 4, I scored some great tickets to the Roughrider vs Argonauts game at nearby Mosaic Stadium. A nail-biter almost to the bitter end, it was great to see Shea Patterson step up and fight through a tough game. 

But what happened right before the game started was more special than a win for a team who weren't expected to win in front of an excited crowd. My dad and your future pope - the infamous Denis Pilon was one of the members of the Living Skies Chorus that sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Oh Canada" before the game. Since the game landed on Independence Day, CBS in the US picked up the game for broadcast and in return, both national anthems were sung. 

The video struggles to capture the grandeur of the performance and just how good it sounded in the stadium. What started as a strong, military-sounding performance of the anthems, quickly showed its barbershop roots with unexpected harmonies and a pitch-perfect performance. You could feel the crowd being moved and as an observer who was trying to be quiet to film them - it was a challenge. 

Dad texted before the game to comment on how spectacular the soundcheck was but I don't think he realized how much having 30,000-some-odd people join in would enhance the performance. The sound filled the stadium and surrounded the listener. It was truly a spectacular performance, and one I'm sure they'll be invited to repeat many more times. 

I was grateful that my Aunt and Uncle didn't feel like coming into town for a Thursday night game so I could experience it in person! Plus, it was a perfect night for a football game and the Riders looked good - all the way to the end of the game. 

Have I ever told you about Minecraft?

I was thinking about how long it's been since I last blogged regularly. It occurred to me that it's been so long that my love of the game Minecraft has never come up! I often think about how my journey started, and how 15 years later, I still play it like it's new to me. 

My Minecraft journey is tied to YouTube throughout, so it's little surprise that my journey starts there. I can't remember what website I saw it on but they wanted to share a laugh about this video:

I immediately knew it would come to dominate my life. And looking back 15 years later, it's gone exactly as predicted. 

I bought my first, and to date only, Minecraft licence sometime that October, during the Alpha 1.2.0 Halloween Update on Java. I remember it being $5 but the Wiki says it was closer to $12. I can't find an invoice email so that's lost to time. Andrew was an early adopter with me. In an email search on my computer, I found the earliest remaining email in my inbox from that time was of the HindenBURN in November 2011. Fire seems to be an early Minecraft theme. 

I played solo survival early on, learning the basics of the game from Sea Nanners on YouTube.   All that remains of that first world and that first base for me are a few screenshots from December 2010

Like most early adopters, I followed the game's creator, Notch, on his blog. I found an early crash report I made where I rather gush about the game knowing that he's likely to read it:

To: support@mojang.com

Dec 10, 2010 

Greetings - was just changing the graphic setting from Fancy to whatever the alternative is - it locked up for a bit then sent this message.

LOVE THE GAME, my whole family plays together - wish we could have multiple avatars/names under my one account. 

Exciting times.

By January 2011, we'd ventured into multiplayer. Andrew was sharing snapshots of his online builds with me. (Stolen, again without permission).

I have a trove of snapshots from a server - whose name is now lost to time - with an early castle I built. It contained my first Minecraft organ, an invention I'd return to many years later. 

I started a multiplayer server in December of 2011 - aptly named "Pilot's World" that about a dozen people played on at its peak. The server lasted about 3 or 4 years, there were some stumbles and resets, but the "classic era" lasted until early 2014. One of my great regrets is losing the world file for that original world. I made a mistake when downloading the backups and when I went to re-access them - it was gone. I didn't take as many screenshots as I should have - or they're lost on a dead hard drive in a landfill. In any case, all I can find from Pilot's World the Minecraft server - is this video:

Some say he's still chasing that villager to this day. 

After Pilot's World, I played on a server called Kingdom's Cities, which I'm discovering in writing is back up and running. I may have to do some exploring soon. When Kingom's Cities (I thought) shut down in October 2018, I moved to my current home, Simplex. 

My activities in Minecraft are pretty varied. I run a store in the shopping district called EMPORIUM! I found a picture of my first-ever multiplayer shop and... I haven't evolved much in store style. 

First Shop (July 2011)

EMPORIUM! (Dec 2023)

Like most experienced, end-game players, I have an over-the-top base with a million farms and I enjoy participating in server events like build competitions. I've been pushing myself to make large-scale inventions like a playable organ, an original sorting system and even a Minecraft version of curling. 

YouTube is still part of my Minecraft adventure too. I could go through a million early YouTubers I watched but my current staple is Hermitcraft intermixed with a bit of Wattles and Mogswamp. 

Minecraft is a game that provides a vast creative palette with an enjoyable challenge in survival that drives you to solve problems and do more. Adding a multiplayer element gives you a chance to collaborate and show off in a way that provides - so far literally - endless fun. 

I'll leave you with one more screenshot, my most recent build - the S.S. Goo, my entry for the Summer Boat Building Competition. 

I need to get outside more. 

On owning a lightsaber.

 I am the very proud owner of a new,  primordial lightsaber. First-time owner, it's a one-handed, dagger-like affair that runs off butane. No Kyber crystal vision quest in my future, unfortunately. But it was a fantastic Father's Day nonetheless. 

But even owning this affordable Amazon novelty torch makes me realize how powerful and dangerous a real lightsaber is. 

Trying to be a showoff and light a joint with it, I quickly discovered that a beaked or brimmed hat is a limiting factor. I still don't understand how Obi-Wan can hold his next to his face without losing his beard. I don't know how it survived Mustafar - but let's stay on topic. 

You need to be careful where you point it. 

I wonder about the weight of a lightsaber. Does the blade weigh anything? I've seen discussion online and I join the side that says they must have weight and balance like a stick or sword because otherwise you could just flail it about and shred everything. Plus they seem to put effort into using the tool. 

I've seen theories that lightsabers have sharp or cutting areas and blunt areas. Hence Obi Wan's bouncy sabre in Kenobi. Not mine. If you get close enough, this thing will fuck you up equally from all directions. I think I'd rather have one than a knife in a street fight. 

The torch doesn't have an end-weight, it truly is just a handle, but the jet flame does give you a slight push. I feel like new lightsaber users always have a similar kickback reaction to the weapon igniting. 

I don't know how a Jedi puts a lightsaber back on their belt immediately after use without branding their thigh. We're taking several powers of magnitude hotter than what I got - I'm not cutting through any steel blast doors this weekend. I need to leave mine sitting out for a few minutes before it's cool enough to put away. Even a gunslinger blows on his barrel first. It's best mine didn't come with a belt clip. 

All this to say, no matter how much I beg you, never let me even hold a real lightsaber. I feel like there was a mistake made already that will result in a visit from the fire department or to the burn unit. Maybe both. 

For now, I must be content with a convenient pizza oven lighter, campfire obliterator and a debilitating paranoia about its misuse. 

May the Force be with you. 

Why does LGBTQ2S+ Pride matter to me?

This past Saturday was one of my favourite days of the year, the annual Pride parade here in Regina. I've walked in the parade with a few different organizations for about a decade and I always find it to be a day of joy, love and a bit of "sticking it to the 'phobes."

This year was extra important to many of us in attendance due to recent transphobic policies enacted by the Sask Party government. Pride parades have really become a celebration of sexual and gender diversity, but they have their roots in protest and this year, I was happy that the committee remembered that history. 

I work as a social media manager for a provincial Crown corporation so every year I see the hate and intolerance that so many people have for the LGBTQ2S+ community. I can only speak for myself to say that most people just want to be left alone to live their lives and the fact that there is a very vocal group in this world that can't tolerate that is disgusting to me. 

And that's why I march. That's why I continue to defend the community online through my work. And it's why, over 50 years after the first Pride parade, we're still protesting. 

In my younger, naive days, I thought that the solution to most kinds of intolerance was to just ignore the differences and focus on how we are the same. Certainly, there's value in finding common ground, I think it can help to humanize each other through ignorance. But as Leonard Cohen once noted, variety is the spice box of life. I see my world as more interesting, more nuanced and much more fun because I have gay and transgender friends. And that extends to all the ways we're different. I learn so much from other cultures, gain insights from how others are different and so often, I see how my approach to the world can harm others. 

Sometimes I feel sorry for the willfully and ignorantly intolerant. They've chosen a path that is angry and stressful. Not only does their behaviour hurt the people they target, it hurts themselves. They are turning away from a new friend, a new insight or a fascinating new experience. 

I think the worst part about this subject is summed up in how I can't sum up this post. There was a time that I thought that the screams of intolerance and hate we were hearing were the last gasps of a misguided past. But it seems of late that the voices are getting louder and the progress we were making is starting to walk backwards. As much as I'd like to sit back one year, maybe enjoy the Pride parade from the sidelines, or just ignore the stupidity online, it's as important today as it was in 1970 to stand up for what's right, embrace our differences and redouble our efforts to fight the good fight.

Happy Pride everyone, I love ya for who you ARE! 💜💙💚💛🧡

Punk Rock Pizza

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns were a strange thing. 

Some people got smokers. Some people knitted. Some people - made sourdough. 

To be sure, sourdough had long been an interest but with every previous attempt, I'd get busy, go somewhere, forget about it and - mould city. It never got anywhere, but now I wasn't going anywhere and I had some time to kill and wanted to connect with the kids. 

Sourdough is nothing more than smelly living slime, which means it was perfect for slime connoisseur, Kayah. We named our first starter Bobette and embarked on some experimentation. One Friday night, we made pizza dough with the starter discard. We hung out in the kitchen, making pizzas while I bombarded Kayah with some of punk rock's historical highlights. It was a great night of company, food and music. 

I'm always looking for a reason to alliterate and in a quick trade with Rhonda, we quickly found Pilon Punk Rock Pizza Party. A reason to eat good pizza and listen to music. 

We've repeated it semi-regularly ever since. Sure, we made a few sourdough loaves and delivered them to family and co-workers. But that pizza dough has persisted. We've been through Bobbette 1-23 but we still make up fresh batches of dough as much as possible. 

Last summer I bought a small portable wood pellet oven. It's easy to use and fun but I can't say what I'd do for a brick pizza oven in my backyard! 

Retirement goals I guess.

This past Christmas, I embarked on a very optimistic project of making a ball of sourdough pizza dough accompanied by a hand-cut punk 'zine and sticker by Rhonda (and an AI but I won't tell!) as a gift for all my friends and family. I think I made about 20 Punk Rock Pizza Parties in all. It was well received, but I think the execution lacked a bit and I don't think I'd do the same kind of project again. Or I'd at least use a stand mixer.

I ponder what I'd like to do next with it. I started a Redbubble store a few months ago with the thought that I might find some kind of merchandise angle, but it's just not quite what I have in mind yet. 

Only time will tell. Until then, if I can ever pop by your place with my oven, I provide the dough, and you provide the toppings. Let's listen to some punk music and have a slice - or twelve.

ibUILTakEYBOARD

 Grreatnews,igotmykeyboardtogether.Badnews,thespacebarandtheenterkeydontwork.#

Welltheenterkindaworkssometimes.Butit'sloose.##

IneedtogodosomemoreworkIguess.

Buildin' a keyboard

A few months ago, Rhonda and I were “antiquing” as old fogies like us are wont to do. In a dark back corner of one antique shop, we came across some shelves of mechanical typewriters. I cheekily commented that since I now work as a writer, I should probably have one on a shelf that I never use. It took three keystrokes for me to tangle the arms on one and I quickly remembered that using a pen is better than an old typewriter and I had no use whatsoever for such a machine. 

 I did realize that I could really use a nice keyboard for typing at work and thus I went down the endless rabbit hole that is mechanical keyboards. For the uninitiated, building custom mechanical keyboards is all the rage right now, and you can customize everything from the feel of the switches to the keycaps to the cable – have I mentioned soldering LEDs yet. You get the picture. 

The result is about 8 weeks of waiting patiently for parts and tools to arrive from all four corners of China (and one thing from Vancouver). Turns out that was the easy part. The last parts came in the mail yesterday so I sat down at the kitchen table to start in earnest. 

And learned why not everyone does this. 

My fingers hurt from pushing in sharp switches and stabilizers and I nearly went mad when I realized I had to pull every switch because I needed to put the stabilizers in first. It’s been a real journey. So all that to say, hopefully, someday, I will write this blog from a nice thocky, fancy keyboard. 

But not today. Today, it’s my worn-out Dell work keyboard with all the letters rubbed off.

Sweet 16 (You gonna go ahead and post again like that?)

 In the spirit of keeping the momentum moving for restarting this and because I have a big day to celebrate, I'm posting again. 

Today is my daughter Kayah's SIXTEENTH birthday. Lordy. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY!

It's my second go-round with a sixteen-year-old but it doesn't make this any easier. Time flies until you stop and realize that baby that kept you up every night for six years is ready to get her license and you're ready for her to so that you can get a night off of driving her everywhere. 

We don't have a ton planned for her tonight but I do hope she has a fantastic day and appreciates the drum of stale crackers I got her as a gift. 

When tomorrow is four years away

So, what brings me back to this dump this time? Another pandemic? Maybe YouTube is down for the afternoon? Some kind of injury that renders my lower half useless but leaves my brain and typing thingies untouched? Hardly.

This time, it’s at least a bit less disaster-dependent – even if this blog has always been a disaster. This past Easter I was chatting with my brother Andrew from Randomization about the excellent YouTube vlog, Vlog Brothers. I was expressing how that back-and-forth was interesting and might be something we could try.

Andrew, being the more reasonable and realistic of us two, noted that editing a video every week sounded an awful lot like work but that we did still have those old blogs kicking around – maybe we could try there?

So, we’ve assigned each other a day a week to post and… let’s see how far this goes! Be sure you’re subscribed, liked or glonked over at Randomization so you can catch his first post on Thursday!