Month: October 2007

The night before Hallowe’en, Mike and I did a tour of Bank Street after work where I stumbled upon a rare find – a record store which actually had NEW vinyl! I am very excited at this prospect as I have been searching for one over a year now. We also hit up a couple of comic stores along the way. I was interested to see that Silver Snail offers their comic books at US prices instead of the CDN price. Viva the smart retailers!

We then went to the Manx Pub which we have heard about over the years but have never visited. It was a very cozy place and wasn’t too loud. We had a few drinks until Carrie showed up and then we ordered dinner. Carrie and I ordered the lamb/curry wrap from a suggestion from Krista and it was delicious. I would definitely recommend the Manx Pub to anyone.

We then headed towards the Ghost in the Gallows tour which is a tour where they take you to the old prison in Ottawa (aka, now the Ottawa International Youth Hostel). In all the years I’ve been here, I’ve never gone on the tour so the Halloween time was the best time to go!

We met up with Vero and Mel, had some hot chocolate and started walking with the group towards the prison. Stopping along the way, our guide recounted tales of how Darcy McGee was assassinated and how the ghost of the murderer haunted the old prison house.

The old prison house/hostel is quite the archaic place. It was odd to see a bunch of youth hanging out there as it was a hostel, whereas we are a group of people traipsing along hunting for ghosts! We checked out a few old prison cells, heard about the ghosts that have inhabited them, heard about how the top floor has been shut down due to hostel-dwellers being freaked out by ghosts appearing in the middle of the night…it was all very fun. We also saw the gallows with the noose and while the guide was talking, the steel floor let go beneath it with a BANG! It gave us all a fright and she was very concerned as that never happens.

Well, at least that’s what she said. We had heard a scream and a bang when we entered the building and so a few of us thought it was part of the act. I would like to believe in the ghosts myself.

We grabbed some hot apple cider and toured a little more and the tour was over. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I believe the others did as well. I am anxious to go on the other haunted walk in the future as it takes you around various locales in Ottawa that are haunted.

Highly recommended!

I must admit that this article indicating that Ontario has busted over 1000 offenders for speeding over 50 km/hour over the speed limit has me surprised. I can’t say I’ve ever sped to that degree so it surprises me that there are quite a few people who do.

On another note, why doesn’t the law make some ludricous fines to ensure people don’t do this? For example, instead of confiscating their vehicle for a week, take it for three months! A year even! Fines should be increased to a point where they will be paying out of their ass for quite some time!

I don’t think there should be a balance when it comes to laws…they should be in extremes…low extremes for things like underage drinking and smoking marijuana…high extremes for murder and drinking and driving. I understand the concept of rehabilitation so why don’t they have the concept in some laws that the first chance is all they get and then afterwards, nothing goes?

http://www.canadaeast.com/news/article/112066

I’ve realized that I no longer take a lot of pictures with my own camera as there are a gazillion going around at parties I go to. However, this puts me in a conundrum because my entries are not photorific! However, Joelle sent me this nice snap of Vero and I. Please note that Vero went as Charlie Chaplin’s Mistress. I don’t know about you, but if my mistress dressed up like me, I would think that would be odd. ;-P

Saturday was the most laid back day in the Universe. I literally rolled over in bed, grabbed my laptop and read some comics. Then I rolled out of bed, went downstairs and watched TV and read comics. It was raining outside so I couldn’t do any of the work I had intended to do outside. Faithful readers of Palmer’s World, fret not! I can still accomplish much sitting around and doing absolutely nothing around the house on a rainy day! Especially when lunch is being served in the form of beans and weenies. Why am I hooked on that stuff? It’s my Saturday lunch treat lately!

Mike finally got me out of my laziness when he started getting his Hallowe’en outfit ready and wanted me to rip off the sleeve of his suit to zombify it. Seeing that I had always wanted to do this to someone I jumped at the chance and pulled with all my might. Let me tell you now that either I’m really weak or it’s impossible to tear of a suit jacket sleeve without some help (read, a knife). We managed to mangle his outfit after some good shredding with the knife and it was looking pretty darn good. I got the Hallowe’en spirit in me and proceeded to try on my outfit.

In true zombie fashion, I had a low key outfit because I wanted the focus to be the zombie portion. So I dressed up as a golfer, along with an Arnold Palmer vest I found at Value Village.

After picking up Vero and getting dressed I realized that we all had some pretty slick outfits on this year. I was very excited to go to Duncan’s party as it was a zombie-themed party and I think themes at parties are hilarious (hence, my Christmas sweater theme at my Christmas parties).

We headed over to Rob and Janice’s where the action was happening in the form of 16 kids running around like maniacs hocked up on a sugar rush. Awww yeah! This is what Hallowe’en is about! I must admit that they did a great job on decorating the place, including the haunted house/room in the back corner. I had a great time acting like a zombie with the kids and indulged in the kids needs for a little wrestling as I fell to the floor and they zombie-piled me. This was all good fun until some kid in the back proceeded to stomp on my leg! Hey, that’s not cool! So I asked him to stop that and later on he proceeds to grab a box and pummel my face with it! This kid has anger management issues, clearly.

After some good cake and the parents picking the kids up, we helped clean up a little and headed on our merry way. Vero and I gave Ryley his birthday gift which I think he liked. Some people find it strange that I give Ryley his birthday gift on Hallowe’en instead of in January but I figured it’s cool. Hallowe’en is such a great event, why not couple it with a great gift every year?

We picked up Joelle and Martin and headed to Duncan’s. Hey, Duncan’s place got new tiles in the kitchen! If no one knows this, I lived at his place for quite a few years when I first moved to Ottawa. The place was decked out Hallowe’en grandeur although I must gripe about something.

I don’t know if it’s because people are too old, or they are lame, but I have to wonder about the lack of zombies at a zombie-themed party, INCLUDING THE FREAKING HOST! Not cool. In total, there were three zombies – Mike, me and Trish. Although I’m sending some kudos to Alex who surprisingly looks a lot like Deaner.

There were some good eats and the wine was a-flowing and we loaded up some good old pictures from Hallowe’en yesteryear which Duncan projected onto the wall. There weren’t as many people as years past but we still had a great time. Although I need some Monster Mash to appear at every Hallowe’en party. Duncan, take note!

After some debauchery, the night ended and we hightailed it for the East end of the city and crashed for the night while my head swam in a sea of wine. Wine Likers, take note: I tried the new Farnese…argh, I can’t remember the name of it…it was labeled as NEW at the LCBO. Anyhow, it was great. I enjoyed it.

Sunday brought a nice day and a bad hangover. The deadly combination – where you know you can’t laze around and do nothing all day because there is work to do. I got Vero to help me with putting caulking around a few leaks in the eaves trough that has been plaguing my house for a few years now and never were properly fixed. Vero is excellent on the applying the caulking. I also threw some roof tar on the roof in a few spots. Now all I have to do is put the patio furniture away before the snow hits and I can consider the house fit for the winter. Unfortunately, my painting of the garage door and front door is 95% complete and will have to remain that way until the Spring as it is too cold to apply another coat of paint on the front door. I’m kind of disappointed, but it’s not that big of deal. I’m proud that I adhered to my housework philosophy – get it done, but don’t kill yourself in the process. However, I’m thinking this may be attributed to sheer laziness?

iplaying: I’m Going Down – Bruce Springsteen (Born in the USA)

Hey Ho, let’s go! Another day, another blog entry. For the masses. You are it. The people who come to Palmer’s World and crave to hear more from my existence.

Last night I existed on many fronts – I existed on the exercise front where I jogged around the block while stopping into the post office to pick up my smashing new vinyl! I ordered a few Smashing Pumpkins 7″ vinyl singles from the UK. Unfortunately for me, shipping from the UK sucks price wise and let’s not forget that usually the vinyl is more expensive anyhow…but that’s the life we live in when North America isn’t friendly to the vinyl collectors.

Later in the evening I picked Vero up from work and we headed out to the Scotiabank Place as we had tickets to the Sens Army event for the night (courtesy of Eric and Annie, thanks guys!). We strolled in there, took our seat on the floor around Row 30 and watched them introduce this year’s Ottawa Senators. After much clapping and all around hockey goodness we waited for the first comedian to come on for the night.

Scott Harris came on and we had a good laugh with him joking about being old and a slew of stuff about Tim Horton’s which was hilarity. Unfortunately for Vero and I, the acoustics in the Scotiabank Place SUCKED last night. I believe Mike and I were in the same boat one time at a concert where we are in this spot on the floor where the sounds emanating from the stage reverberate back as an echo so the sound is muffled with an echo and it’s hard to hear.

It wasn’t TOO bad for Scott Harris’ set but then the headliner came on (Jeremy Hotz – he was doing this weird thing where his hand always went to his forehead) and we couldn’t hear a word he said. Of the words we caught, I just didn’t find it funny so Vero and I decided to cut out early.

Unfortunately for us, as soon as we walked ten rows back from where we were, we could hear the guy clearly! We must have been in this echo zone of sound but we escaped it! We still left but it’s good to remember for next time – don’t sit in the echo zone!

I swore there was a way that you could post private entries onto this blog…does anyone know how to set a posting to private in Blogger?

Thanks.

Last night after a grueling day of training at work along with my regular class at U of O, I headed out to Mike’s place for his surprise birthday party (not roommate Mike).

When I arrived I noticed the lights were off which tipped me off that Mike had not arrived yet which scared me because I didn’t want to be in his driveway when he showed up!

In the end, he was surprised, everyone was happy and cake was served. Along with pizza and sushi. It was a good night to chat with a bunch of people I haven’t seen in awhile (like Jen! When’s the last time I saw her?!). I heard tales of the upcoming Hallowe’en party, the quest for our Ghostbusters costume ONCE AGAIN falling through the cracks, and a review of the wagon ride to Saunders Farm (which I’ll have to try someday).

I’m sure Mike had a great time and fun times were had. Heck, you can’t go wrong with people showing up for your birthday.

I am gearing up for my favourite holiday – Hallowe’en! Unfortunately I will be in school for the better part of the night so I won’t be able to hand out candies to the little ones. But there will be a wicked shindig at Duncan’s (aka my old homestead with me going as a zombie!).

In no particular order, my Top 10 list of horror films to whet your appetite. I shall try and group them into what genre they are in because there are clearly some different genres of horror. For example, slasher horror (where there is a main villain and all he does is kill people), or science fiction horror (where they are battling some evil-doer…usually in space!).

The Shining – My parents picked this up for me as a Christmas gift. I had never even heard of it and we watched it on Christmas morning. Good lord. Those twin girls drove me nuts. REDRUM! Category: Psychological Horror.

28 Days Later – The world, or at least the UK is overcome by a rage virus which makes people into zombie like creatures who just run around maniacally and feed on the living. I personally love this film and it’s probably in my Top 3. I just the dichotomy between the first half of the film being about the crazy zombies, but then the other half being about the crazy survivors of the virus. Very cool. I also enjoyed the fact that the zombies aren’t really zombies and they are super-hyperactive and can move like the wind. That scares the bejeezus out of me. Category: Newage Zombie Horror.

Hallowe’en – The king of the king! Hallowe’en is always underated compared to Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th, but Michael Myers has a place in my heart. I love the lumbering figure coming across the street with a William Shatner mask and a knife. It’s my favourite slasher flick of all…and the Rob Zombie remake was decent, although I must admit I don’t need to know every little detail about the childhood of some crazed killer. I want to know as little as possible! Category: Slasher horror.

House of 1000 Corpses – Rob Zombie’s first film was a doozy. It nabbed the feel of the old school slasher flicks and it nabbed it well. Pulling from ideas from Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a little sci-fi horror, the film is an excellent addition to the new-age horror genre. PLUS you get to see some excellent death sequences! Category: New-age Slasher Horror.

Evil Dead – I really don’t know what I can say about this film that hasn’t already been said on this site. Bruce Campbell is the king and Sam Raimi ain’t too shabby himself. I have a fear of the woods at night and it is common knowledge that I would be in college trying to watch this film at night and have to turn it off 20 minutes into it because it was so creepy! I would watch the film over the entire week because I couldn’t handle it alone in my room. Yes, I am a baby. If you like a film revolving around some college kids going to a cabin in the woods where a supernatural force takes over the living and then Bruce Campbell has to kick some ass…this is the film for you. Honourable Mention goes to Evil Dead II (which, was essentially a remake of the first one) and Army of Darkness (which basically drove the series into slapstick comeday whereas the first one is straight out horror). Category: Supernatural Horror.

Event Horizon – I still remember the first time watching this and freaking out. This was an intense movie and it really messed with your head with the dark imagery and the blackness of space. Morpheus (aka Lawrence Fishburne) appears in this sci-fi horror film where the crew is on the search for a ship called the Event Horizon. Only, when they get there, they wish they hadn’t. Category: This one is all over the map – sci-fi, with some good psychological horror with it.

Aliens – Please note the pluralization of Alien. We’re talking about the sequel here which was the greatest Alien film there ever was. While I am not denouncing Alien considering it spearheaded the franchise and was pretty darn good on its own, the sequel was just as good. Sigourney Weaver battling some aliens in outer space who have acid for blood…what more can you ask for? Category: Sci-fi Horror.

Blair Witch Project – Ok, ok, you have me. This can’t be in the Top 10 list! It’s not really that great! Well, it is really great if you don’t know what the movie is about. I went to see it on my birthday years ago and had no idea what to expect. I was on the edge of my seat in fear for the entire film and it never let up. It had to do with the fact that it took part in the woods at night. Ack! That’s my kryptonite! Documenting a group’s search for the Blair Witch, they encounter horrors at every turn. Category: Psychological Horror.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: This is, and always will be one of the great films that bring the horror genre up in status. I don’t know what’s scarier – the chainsaw wielding maniac (Leatherface!!!) or his family. Both are equally creepy. I especially love the sequences where they are filming at night and you can’t really see what’s happening and all you hear is a chainsaw in the frame. Beautiful. I don’t know if that is on purpose or if it was because of the low budget times. Either way, it gave the film an eerie feel to it. Category: Slasher horror.

Friday the 13th Part 2 – Mmm…with some trepidation have I put this film on here instead of Part IV because I really can’t remember a lot about Part IV but I do remember it was great. I may have to update this list when I watch it again. Anyhow, this film has the introduction of Jason Voorhees in all his pillow-case toting glory. It has everything I love about the series – Camp Crystal Lake, gratuitious nudity, and some maniac running around killing people. What more can you ask for? Category: Slasher horror.

Haute Tension: Oh ho! The French invade the horror landscape with this truly awe-inspiring horror film! One may say it’s the best movie ever! Revolving around two college students coming home for a holiday only to find some random guy coming in to kill the family. It is brutal in every fashion and I honestly couldn’t handle my first viewing while at Katie’s cottage one year. I had to leave the room as it was freaking me out too much. But it has turned out to be one of my favourite horror films. I intend to branch out and watch a lot more foreign films, especially considering I heard the Japanese know how to make some good horror. Category: Slasher/Psychological Horror.

In Singapore, there is a dragon boat league.

On this league, there is a Canadian Dragon Boat Team.

My uncle Gerry is part of this team.

While the membership is not entirely Canadian, but more of “Whoever loves Canadians may join this team”, my grandmother has created the ultimate team uniform – toques!

Here is a photo of her displaying some of her Team Canada toques! She knit 50 of them but she can’t fathom them wearing them considering it is 32 degrees celcius down in Singapore!

I, for one, am hoping to see a photo of the team in action on the water while wearing their toques! That would make the front page of the Globe and Mail for sure!

***update*** Here’s the photos!

The subject line was uttered by Christopher Plummer (the actor) yesterday at the National Arts Center. He was receiving an honourary doctorate from the University of Ottawa at the same graduation that Vero was taking part in.

Sunday morning arrived and I got up early to head to a comic book convention. Last time I went with Benoit, I managed to pick up Volume 2 of WildCats which was/is an excellent series that I lost touch with.

I headed down to Lansdowne Park and after scouring the area, I finally found the sports cards/comic book show and meandered around the booths. I have been toying around with the idea of getting back into the comic book world, but more from a ‘I want to make money off of it” standpoint. I shall continue my thoughts of the comic scene in a future entry.

After the convention, I went home to get a bite to eat and then headed out to the NAC to watch Vero graduate. Mike was gracious enough to lend me his great digital camera which had me feeling like Peter Parker every time I held it. That zoom is incredible! I was on the Mezzanine level at the NAC and the zoom allowed me to see people from afar easily.

Now, the only graduation I’ve ever been to have been my own. So, as a guest, it’s a different experience altogether.

As in, it’s kind of lacking in excitement. 😉

You’re sitting there waiting for one person in 500 to hit the stage. I must admit I enjoyed Christopher Plummer’s speech and he compared the graduating students to inmates who were escaping prison. He was a great speaker and had an energy to him.

Another highlight was being witness to the first Aboriginal in Canada to receive a University doctorate. Although, after hearing some employees speak after the graduation about how the claim was not true (or partially true), I’ll have to wait to see what the news has to say about it to get the real scoop. It was a moving moment though, I was taking part in history!

Vero finally took the stage and I yelled out a “Go Vero!” but I don’t think she heard it. I managed to get a few good pictures of her walking across the stage AND a picture of her shaking Christopher Plummer’s hand!

After the graduation, we headed outside to take some photos with Marie-Claude and Jean-Francois and then we headed out to Cam Kong for a bite to eat (hey Cam Kong, when the heck did you raise your prices?!).

I’m very proud of Vero to be finally done her higher education (the first incarnation of it at least). She is the hardest worker I have ever met. There were times where I just looked at her and wondered how she handled it all – school, her job, having an amazing, good looking boyfriend who is also witty and eloquent with his speech…congrats Vero on making it through! Plus you got Cum Laude which the Latin language defines as “with honor” This must mean that she didn’t do too bad.