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My life in England, so far...

Hey Everyone...

Putting this together took me much longer than I had hoped, so I apologize to anyone who has been wondering what happened to me, and why I didn't really stay in touch. Turns out, moving your life to another country is a little bit more hectic and time consuming. Though, the transition for Lou and I was rather smooth, all things considered...

I'm not exactly sure how to sum up the last 3 months, so I guess it might be easiest to go back to beginning...

We arrived in England on the 22nd of January - tired, and sleep deprived. Our first few days were spent with Lou's friend, Carly - a fellow Australian who Lou met while working in Canada. We took some time to explore London, but the majority of our first week was spent recovering. The jet lag hit me pretty hard, and I got pretty sick for a few days there... We did fit in some of the sights though - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square.

View from the bridge. London Eye on the left, Big Ben & Westminster Abbey on the right.

Liverpool Street Station - one of the many Tube stations in the city. I actually got stopped by the police on day for having my camera out at the Warren Street Station. Suspicion of Terrorism was the reason for the search and record check!

Big Ben.

Buckingham Palace. Not all that interesting, though I guess inside might be...

Guard marching.

My favourite might have been the stop at King's Cross station to see platform nine and three quarters.

Turns out, I'm not a wizard.

After 5 or so days with Carly, we made the move to Pam and David's house. Pam is my uncle Ed's cousin who lives in Colnbrook, a small village not too far from Heathrow Airport - about an hour or so from Central London. We spent close to a month staying with Pam and David - and are thankful that they were willing to put up with us for so long. Colnbrook is a great little village, though, regretfully, I have no pictures to post. Just down the street f rom where we were staying is the Ostrich Inn - an awesome little restaurant, and what claims to be the 3rd oldest Inn in England. Historical records show that one of the original inn keepers was hanged when found guilty of murdering many of his guests. The murderous inn keeper would put his victim in his 'best' room for the night, and while they slept, he would pull a lever which caused the foot of the bed to drop into the floor, sending the victim sliding out of the bed and into a cauldron of boiling water. Creepy...

For the most part, we spent our first month looking for work and a place to live. Lou found work during our second week here, and so she had to jump into the daily grind fairly soon after our arrival. While Lou was at work, I spent my days wandering the areas near Colnbrook looking for work and housing opportunities. After a few days in London, we were pretty certain that we wanted to live a little ways away. Far enough to get a way from the hectic life within the city, but close enough too, so that we would be able to take the train in when we wanted to do so... After some research, we decided that Windsor was the place - less than an hour from London, contains the most famous castle in England, big enough so that there is no need to leave - and an easy commute to work for Lou via the South West Train Service. Lou, by the way, works at the West Middlesex Hospital, in Richmond - funny how she came from a job in Richmond, B.C.

Though it took some time to get everything sorted, I soon found myself a job at a little restaurant called Gourmet Burger Kitchen - though, it is part of a chain of about 50 or so other locations across the U.K. Work keeps me busy, and the restaurant is about a 5 minute walk from our front door, so convenience is a plus for sure! Oh yeah - we also found ourselves a little studio flat in Windsor. We are just around the corner from the castle, and right across the street from a nice park - they just started turning the fountains on too, kids are already running around in bathing suits even though it is just starting to get warm enough to be out in a t-shirt. They really like to take advantage of nice weather while they have it I guess... Here are some pictures of our little place...

Our tiny kitchenette.

Our bed - about 2 feet from the kitchenette!

View from on the bed - we even have a table!

Though we haven't done too much in the way of serious travel yet - we have been using our days off to see what we can, within a day or weekends reach of Windsor of course.

Stonehenge.

Two Ladies Sitting - this was at the ancient Roman Baths - in Bath. Only interesting because the place was so busy, and I somehow caught these two in the clear, looking rather confused.

We took a trip to Oxford in March - though we would like to go back once the weather warms up a little more - rent some bikes for the day maybe... Oxford is special because they filmed a lot of Harry Potter there at Christ Church College. I didn't tell Lou this until we were there...

The great hall at Christ Church - just like the great hall at Hogwarts!

We also spent an hour or so at one of the many museums in Oxford. The museum of Natural History. Pretty awesome, though we could have used more time I think. I also found this little guy in one of the mammal displays...

Bedes?

Though we have yet to do any big trips - we did make it up to Sheffield and Nottingham for a weekend away. Lindsay Bales, an old friend of mine who now lives in Sheffield, showed us around town - took us by the office of the clothing company she works for (Dropdead Clothing - a pretty impressive clothing line started by a teenage guy. Now his entire family helps run the company). After lunch and a movie at Lindsay's place, we hopped on train to Nottingham to see some more of my old friends. A band called Moneen, out of Ontario, whom Lights Below did a little bit of touring with back in 2007, was playing in Nottingham, and it was great to see them play again - they were amazing as usual! The next day was spent exploring Nottingham. Though we didn't have time to make it to the Sherwood Forest, we did visit Nottingham Castle, and learnt a lot about the legend of Robin Hood.

Robin Hood statue near Nottingham Castle.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem - the oldest inn in England! Essentially, this inn is built into the cliffs upon which Nottingham castle stands. There are caves and passages all around under the castle, and the inn connects to many of these cave networks.

Our most recent trip was over to Wales for the weekend. Karly, a friend whom I used to work with, has also relocated to England. After meeting them for dinner one Thursday night, we made plans to rent a car with her and her husband Shaun - and spend the weekend road tripping around Wales. There is a bakery called Gregg's over here, which makes me smile each time I see it - but, what I saw at Gregg's in Cardiff, Wales was just a little bit too strange...

Notice the first four and the last four letters on the sign...

After the discovery I made on the sign, these fine Welsh lads demanded that I take their picture. They were drunk.

Somewhere along the coast of Wales.

In Cardiff, on our first evening, we went on the Llandaff Ghost Walk. In a group of about 15, we were led through what we're told is one of the most haunted areas of the United Kingdom. Through cemeteries, past catherdrals, and alongs rivers we walked as our host told us stories of hauntings and strange happenings - many of which have been witnessed on his walks. At one point, I thought I heard a ghost peeing in the bush beside me. Turns out, it was just a cat - but one who happened to look a lot like my cat at home...

Pretty Lady!

Path through the old part of the cemetery.

Llandaff Cathedral at night.

So, that about brings things up to speed. The interesting things anyway...

Next weekend, we are going to Switzerland. Zurich to be precise. Lou has a friend there, who has offered us a place to stay. We would also like to make it to Lucerne - about 45 minutes from Zurich. It will be a quick trip - just for one night - but it will be great to finally get away!

I hope that from now on, I will be a little bit more organised with my pictures and with regular updates. I have also been working on a rather interesting project with my 'Kiwi' mate, Stefan - we plan to launch the website for this project in the next week or so. Ideally, it will involve us, the Queen of England, and a lot of tea... I will explain soon!

Until next time...

Pictures!

So the first part of my world tour is coming to an end fairly soon. We will be back in Canada after a short stop in Singapore - before moving on to the UK and Europe after christmas.

I have yet to post anything on here, partially due to lack of time and accessability... but mostly because I didn't want to spend too much time writing about my adventures, leaving more time to get into new ones.

I have uploaded a few of my photos, but I don't have any of the right programs to really go to work on them all... nor can I really do much touching up.

I tried hard on this trip to capture real moments, more than the ever so cliche 'tourist' ones - therefor, rarely are Lou and I in the pictures. I just kind of walked around snapping anything that seemed interesting...

(Monkey business - Kyoto, Japan)

(On of many deer in Nara, Japan)


(Workin' hard - Chiang Mai, Thailand)


(Dancing...maybe - Nara, Japan)


(Old car - Middle of Nowhere, Australia)

(Angkor Thom - Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Goodbye. For now...

Japan. Thailand. Cambodia. Vietnam. Australia. Singapore. Europe. Africa.

I leave in 14 hours - and though I have a lot of loose ends that still need tying - the reality has yet to really hit me.

It has been a long time since an update on here. Maybe I got a little lazy. Or maybe just busy. Or maybe both. I guess I phase in and out of periods of productivity and motivation. Though, I think it is safe to say that motivation and productivity will have to be on my side for the next while. I hope they are at least.

I will be keep a journal, each day hopefully. And I will do my best to update on here when I can with any worthwhile stories or photographs.

To anyone who might read this - if I didn't see you before I left, I apologize. It does not mean I will miss you any less.

See you in a year, or three...

Goals for the week...

I had intended to post this on Monday - but sometimes things get a little busy - and sometimes I get a little lazy. Either way, here it is now...

- Swim 4 times this week.

- Do something each day to help someone out. This cannot be calculated, and must be of no immediate benefit to myself.

- Vote.

- Fix the windshield wiper on my car.

My progress so far is good.

I took Wednesday as my rest day. Monday and Tuesday I swam after work - getting in half of a kilometer each night. Today, I swam on my break from work and pushed it up to three quarters of a km. My hope is to be doing 1 km non-stop before the end of the month...

On the subject of my 'random acts of kindness' - on Monday I returned that purse. On Tuesday night, I was closing up at work and about 25 minutes after we had closed, a man came in who seemed really disappointed that he had come too late. Rather then turn him away, fish and chip-less, I fired the fryers back up and cooked his meal. He was stoked. Last night, a similar situation. Customer enters, we are closed, he is bummed - only last night we had some leftover fish and chips that had been sitting for a few minutes. I crisped those back up and gave them to him on the house. He was really stoked.

I am not sure what I will do today - but hopefully an opportunity presents itself before the day is done...

And I voted too - only, I can't say that the election produced either of the outcomes I was hoping for...

And as far as my windshield goes - I can't replace the part apparently. Plan B = fix it my way - with glue and/or tape. Plan C - try to find the part at the auto wrecker. 

Back to work now!

Yes Man!

Lou and I watched 'Yes Man' last night. A little bit cheesy, but that was expected I suppose. Not bad though. It got us to thinking, or me to thinking anyway, about how difficult it might actually be to say 'yes' to every opportunity, even if just for one day. Maybe I will try it... Not today though.

This morning was the shits - but tonight, I am feeling pretty terrific. Just goes to show how much situations and moods can change in the span of about 13 hours. 

I was able to make it to the pool after work and got in a quick 1/2 kilometer before the pool closed. I feel good about that. I also plan to have a second go at waking up at 7am tomorrow, without Lou, for a pre-work swim... I feel like I might actually make it this time!

I also drove over to the capitol hill area to return a purse and wallet to a customer who left them behind tonight at Ol' Cockney Kings. I was not able to get a number from anything left in the purse - but her license lead me to her house. She was not home when I got there, though I found her husband and he seemed quite relieved as well upon the return of what may have been keys to his truck... I think this can slot nicely in as part of that homework assignment where I wanted to do something of no immediate personal gain in the interest of helping someone else. Let's make this week the week for that to happen for real - Monday down and one random act of kindness in the books. I will update tomorrow, or later in the week at least with my progress on that front.

On a completely unrelated side note - the Canucks lost tonight, bringing the best playoff run they have had since 1994 to an end. I really thought this was our year... but, it looks like that is not the case. For what it's worth though - I want to commend those boys on their effort. They did well, they almost had it tonight, but it slipped away. And unlike most other band-wagon jumpers, I'll take this loss and feel pretty good about it. The thing I figured out tonight is this: The only thing Vancouver loves more than the Vancouver Canucks, is hating on them when they lose.

So fuck each and every person who ended tonight with words and feelings of hate towards our hockey team. I might not play hockey anymore, and own a jersey, or a hat or shirt, and I don't have those ever popular Canucks flags on my car - but god dammit I am a better fan than you are...

That is all tonight. Time for bed!

Failed... kinda.

No 7am Wednesday morning wake-up for me. A failure in once sense, yes. But I'll call it a necessity - a conscious decision made in the name of extra rest. And realistically, I think I needed that extra bit of sleep - I have been a little grumpy this week.

In lieu of missing my Wednesday swim, I swam extra hard on Thursday. Done deal. I am now up to 500m non-stop. I hope to push that to 1.5km and beyond maybe. 1.5km is the standard distance for an olympic distance triathlon - which I have been thinking might be a new addition to the 'to-do' list... If I could run, I might consider giving Ironman a shot someday. Not soon though...

Today has been super productive so far. Despite a shitty start (due to news of a fuck up at work), I was up at 6:30 to take Lou to work. Hit up the passport office shortly before 9am (my new passport will be here in roughly two weeks). Ate breakfast and read the newspaper. Stopped at Canadian Tire. Took an hour long nap in my car. Saw Andy down at Sacred Heart about a new tattoo that is now in the works. Had lunch. Made a deposit at the bank and stopped at the library to pay old fines, get a new library card, and borrow a book that will hopefully help me fix some small issues with my car. The most important being my broken windshield wiper. In Vancouver, that can cause some issues...

All of that, and its only 2:32pm. Work starts in 28 minutes. Tonight will go well I believe. And I serve for Amy tomorrow morning. As much as that sucks on my day off, it is a bit of extra money in the bank, which is a good thing for sure.

The test...

Tomorrow morning I plan to wake up at 7am and go for a swim - as I usually would. Only, Lou is not here tonight, nor am I staying in Kits at her place. Without her to wake up with, and considering too the amount that I enjoy sleeping, this will surely be a challenge...

I will update tomorrow. Pre-work. Post-swim?

We will see...

It's a girl!

So - I realize I have (yet again) fallen short in keeping up with regular Sunday updates. To remedy the 3 week draught,  I will combine the past 3 updates into one, keeping things as concise and to the point as I am able.

On the subject of health and what not - I am now swimming quite regularly. I think it is safe to say that I am past the point where forcing myself to go is a difficult thing - and that in itself feels pretty good. It's almost as if my body equates feeling good to starting my day with a swim - therefor, it kind of craves it.  Another incentive is the fact that in order to get my money's worth (being that I bought myself a four month pass) - I need to swim at least twice each week. In the last month, I have been to the pool 15 times so I am most definitely on track. My next goal is to incorporate the gym into the mix - though I think I need to learn how to work out first... 

On a different note - I passed my road test and now have my class 5 license. It was long overdue, and as strange as it my sound, it feels good to be done with. I guess being lumped in with today's 'new' drivers made me feel a little bit lame - and lazy too, being that I have been eligible to apply for my class 5 for almost 5 years now. Anyway, it's in the bag - and apparently my face will be in hologram form on my new license! How cool is that!

I have been thinking more about the book I intend to write. I wouldn't say I am much further along though. But realistically, I have no intentions of writing it soon. It is just something I want to keep in the relative forefront of my mind when I am able to. To give it thought, and take note of ideas I may have, be it ideas about structure, or about content... I also may look into what it costs to print books on your own. Much like we did in Lights Below, without a label or publicity. Does that ever happen with books? Independently printed and distributed? It's an idea for sure!

And I guess I have saved the biggest event for last. In regards to the blog's title - Ashlee and Tony are now the proud parent's of baby Aven Iris Anne Patrick. At least I think that is her full name... haha! It was definitely an experience, being there and all. Not that I saw it happen, I waited in the hall of course, but something about hearing a new person be born into the world sends a shiver down your spine (the happy kind of shiver!). She is amazing, so far as I was able to tell in the 5 minutes I spent with her. But Ash and Tony will be out of the hospital tomorrow morning, and regular visits will soon begin if my mom has anything to say about it. So far, being Uncle Greg is pretty neat...

How I plan to change the world...

I've realized that in some ways, my blog has become a summary of my life. Not a bad thing really, but maybe not exactly what I set out to do. I'd like to make an attempt to steer it back to where it started - not as a space to share everything I do with my time - but more of a place to showcase the exceptional things in an effort to inspire people who read this, or maybe just to inspire myself...

Maybe both?

Anyway. Some notes about the past week and a half...

- I purchased a gym/pool pass... weird right? Great deal though - and with that in hand, I have been swimming regularly for the past month or so - 4 to 5 times each week. And in swimming before work - I am slowly becoming more of a morning person, which is cool too - or, maybe not cool - it's just a change for me, and I welcome change with open arms these days. I want to start working in gym days - but I'll need a bit of guidance there, as me and weight lifting don't know each other too well...

- Lou and I went snowshoeing on Monday. Awesome! Not awesome is the fact that the mountains are closed now...

- I have decided to write a book. This is something I have thought about for a while - years maybe. I have never really given it some serious thought though, and I plan to change that. I don't know what kind of book I will write - but I know I have a lot of ideas and I am hoping that I can take the idea behind this blog and adapt it somewhat. A collection of ideas aimed at inspiring people to change the way they think and live. Not that I have the answers to everything, I just think I have taught myself to have a pretty good and positive outlook on life, and more people might benefit from something like that... I'll do my best to keep this up to date with the progress - but keep in mind that this is not something that I intend to do soon. Either way, I will keep you posted.

Your Homework:

For anyone who reads this and has 2 hours and $12 dollars to spare - go see 'One Week' - great movie, amazing ideas, lots of inspiration. And on a similar note - rent 'Heartlands' - or buy it, as it may be hard to find at a video store.

My Homework:

I have been considering an idea for a few weeks now - where I would do something each day that is of no immediate benefit to myself, but that might help someone else - ideally a stranger. I know that this might sound strange - and that I might provoke some indifferent reactions to the random acts of kindness - but I think the world needs more of that. Maybe I will buy someone a flower. Or a sandwich. Or maybe I will wait extra long to hold the door for someone. I just know that I want each act to be independent of the others, and I want it to be spontaneous, not planned at all.

I can recall a time when I was young, and I was at the corner store buying candy after school. There I witnessed a lady who was told she owed 12 dollars in late fee's on her video rental - and upon hearing this, she began to cry. Clearly, she wasn't upset about the video rental or the fact that she couldn't afford to pay the late fee, or about the fact that she didn't even have time to watch to movie, which came out between sobs... it was something far more real than that. Looking back, I wish that at that in that moment, I would have offered to pay the fine for her. Maybe it wouldn't have done anything. But maybe that small and seemingly insignificant interaction could have made things better for her somehow...

See, we can never be sure how our actions will effect the people around us. We can assume though, that positive actions will be rewarded by the same - and at some point in time, that positive energy will come back to us. Call it karma, or 'paying it forward', or whatever else you like - and believe that it is real, because it is...

When you're sitting in the Strawberry Swing...

A three day weekend is always a good thing!

I didn't plan on it, but presented with the opportunity to take Friday off as well, I did so, and gladly I might add.

I wasted my Friday, in one sense... being that I did almost nothing. But - I needed that I think. A day to rest my brain, and update my iPod - which was much needed also...

I have been sick all week, mildly though. Still trying to shake it off, so the extra day to rest helped hopefully.

We've finished up the first level of our Lindy Hop lessons. Now, onto 'Advanced Beginner'. It feels like we are actually dancing now...almost! It's kind of funny - looking back a year, or two or three... I don't think I would have ever imagined myself in swing lessons, much less enjoying it! Life changes a lot, and quickly sometimes...

And continuing in my pursuit to stay active - today was a good day! Lou and I walked for a while in the trails at Pacific Spirit Park near UBC. And tonight we went to the pool for our Sunday night swim. I also bought runners today - only of particular interest due to the fact that I have not owned or worn a pair of legitimate running shoes in 12 years or so. I went through high school gym class in skate shoes!

I spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about how spoiled the world has become. I guess my pal Louis CK prompted a lot of this introspection... but he is so right in the things he says in the video I've posted below. As a group of people, we (human kind) are fucking shitty. We are disrespectful and ignorant. We do what we want, and we give little thought to what effects it will have. And all the while, we take for granted how amazing our world is. I am hesitant to elaborate. Partly because I'm not sure I have the words in my sleepy state, and partially because I don't want to sound too preachy. But shit - we need to stop being so ridiculous. The world we live in is pretty amazing, even when considering the simplicities. The ability for trees to bloom in the spring. Think about that shit for a while. It's amazing really...

I won't get too far into the rant right now, because I can feel it coming off as a negative thing. But really, I am just pushing myself to appreciate and enjoy things more. And I think that in doing so, I am noticing more how ignorant and shitty some people can be. Nobody in particular really, just people in general...

So. I don't know. Take a minute to enjoy the world. Each day if you can. Just stop and find enjoyment in something you can see or hear. Find inspiration in something simple - something that you pass by each day, but don't take the time to notice or appreciate. I think that if we could all do this, things in the world might just begin to fall into place a little easier...

Everything Is Amazing & Nobody's Is happy...

Louis CK is a smart and funny man...

One Year - No Booze - It's Official...

It's been a year... and I figure I should give this topic some exclusivity as, in reality, it has been the most drastic change I have made in the last 365 days.

It's kind of funny when you don't drink. Sometimes people are surprised. Sometimes people are almost insulted. I wonder how it came to that? When declining an offer to drink has the ability to piss someone else off - make their entire night less enjoyable even. Strange times we are living in... strange times.

Anyway - I guess I can sum the whole thing up with 2 main points which should hopefully provide sufficient insight into the reasoning behind my choice to eliminate 'the drink' from my life - at least for a while...

One - The majority of the things in my life that have caused me feelings of affliction, have been a result of alcohol. I wouldn't go back and change any of those happenings, for, it is those things that have really helped to shape the person I am today.. We make mistakes now and again, some worse than others, but, the hope is that we will learn from these mistakes. Whether they are mistakes that we have had to face head on, or ones that we can sort of sweep under the rug, so to speak, we still have to face them, some way or another. I just came to realize that I had done things that way for long enough - and I needed a break. A period of true clarity in my life...

Two - I was beginning to realize that when I went out drinking, I generally did the same thing. Over and over. In the end, it just was not fun anymore. And really, what is fun about going out to a loud place where you don't know anyone; where you can't sit comfortably or hear your friends talk; where, more than likely, some douche will give you that, 'I am going to try to fight you at some point tonight' kind of look - whether he tries or not is a different story I suppose. And on top of all this, your night will likely end with you spending way more money than you can afford to, all by the magic of a small plastic card you keep ever so conveniently in your wallet, for nights 'just like these'. And then you lose your friends during your exit from the bar, only to be left downtown alone, with a dead cell phone, and no other means of contacting anyone - so you wander around until you find a bus stop, where, during your wait for a bus that is not coming, a homeless woman offers to pleasure you orally in the nearby alley way. Following your decline of said homeless woman's offer, you realize that your bus is not coming, nor would it even take you remotely close to home if it were coming, and you manage to wave a cab down, whose driver feels sorry enough for you to drive you home. A $40 dollar cab ride later, and you are walking the 2 blocks to your house, vomiting at 20 foot intervals in the middle of the road - all because you were too drunk to realize that you weren't actually at your house when you told the cab driver to stop and let you out.

And then you spend the next day feelings like shit.

Sounds fun right?

Well, that explains it... And I think more people could use a break really - because I don't think I am the only person who can relate to those two aforementioned statements... That's not to say that I think everyone should stop drinking, or that drinking is a bad thing per se... I just think that more people could benefit from a little time spent in the clear, ya know? Some time spent without distraction, or regret, or embarrassment, or hangovers - some time to figure out who you really are, and who you really want to be. I can say without a doubt that I have experienced more personal growth, on so many different levels, than ever before in the last year of my life. And some of the changes I made have lead me to great things. To new jobs and back old jobs. To financial stability (investments, and RRSP's, and money to burn!). To better health. To organization. From travel aspirations, to booked flights. And to the best girl in the world, who I found on a mountain top... actually.

So try it. Or don't. You decide...

Public swimming = too much old man penis...

In keeping with the Sunday updates, I figure I better write something before I pack it in for the night!

Lou and I swam again tonight. It was good times... mostly. I have concluded however, that you see too much old man penis at public pools. It's unavoidable! In the past two weeks, I have witnessed men moisturizing their junk more than once, and several questionable drying techniques - including fanning with the towel, and the always horrible standing on the bench to dry your shit while its at every one's eye level. Not good times at all.

Goal for the week: hit the pool 3 times while minimizing the amount of old man penis seen.

This past week and weekend went pretty well too. Work was a little tough at times, but the week ended, just like every week does... And I guess a tough week at work is nothing to get bent out of shape about. It's work. It's not always supposed to be easy. Right?

We got a lot done this weekend too! I was able to do a lot of clean-up and what not with my morning off on Friday - so that made the weekend's start a little less pressured, which in turn made for a ridiculous amount of sleep. I'd say it was needed though... Picked up our 'Coldplay' tickets too.

There is something about holding the tickets in your hand that makes the idea of seeing a great band a little more exciting!

At it's most exciting moment, this weekend had me aiding a man who had fallen at 'Montmartre' - a little french place that has awesome Chai on Main Street. Upon realizing that nobody else was going to do much - I tried my best to help - though I became instantly aware that my first aid skills are in need of brushing up. Turns out the guy was just pissed, and fell down drunk - but I wasn't sure of that, and I guess you can never be too careful. After keeping him comfortable, and seeing him off to the ambulance, we made our exit. Back at home, Robbie, Meaghan, Lou and I capped off the night with a pretty sweet game of 'Scene It'. The girls won, but the race was a tight one!

In other news - I am nearing a full year of complete sobriety. I'm not sure why this feels like a blog-worthy mention - I guess though, this has been the most substantial challenge I have faced over the last year. Not in terms of difficulty really, just in the sense that I was a big change, and the one that was perhaps most often questioned and scrutinized by those around me... I don't think I intend to continue with it completely - but I think that, overall, it was a good challenge for me. In an effort to remain as open minded on my world travels though, I don't really want to close the window of opportunity to sample some good wines in Italy, or enjoy a cold one with Lou's dad. I wasn't a heavy drinker or anything - I guess drinking just wasn't very fun anymore. Which in turn had me questioning why I continued to go out and get pissed like my friend at 'Montmartre' - though I can say honestly that my drinking habits only once landed me in a hospital... with a broken hand - but that, my friends, is a blog topic of its own...

Oh yeah...

Lou and I bought tickets for these guys...

It's funny because over the years, my tastes in music have changed so much. I can remember a time when hearing Coldplay on the radio prompted me to change the station.

Years later, in my re-discovery of what I now might consider my favorite band - I find that their music has actually changed me. I always believed music held this ability, though I think that in the past, I didn't quite understand it. When I thought the music that I loved was changing me - I'm sure now that it was more likely just making me become myself even more.

Somehow, Coldplay actually created real changes in me. The songs almost take me away someplace else. And upon my return to reality, I realize that wherever it was that I just went in that song - I need to get to in real life. It's like they have become the soundtrack to my life.

I am on a journey with the hope that I will find myself someplace better - as a greater person than I am today...