I just had a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner and am being truly honest when I say that this is the first Christmas in quite some time that I am actually excited to spend at home. I think I may get back into this holiday thing. People in my life...you are the reason for this. Thanks for being real.

So in full fondness...Merry Christmas. I hope you spend it well and with the ones you love. 

<--Motherfuckin' bolo ties.

Keep the memories in your bones.

I recorded this a while ago as a rough little demo called "Young Lions" with just acoustic guitar, two electric guitar tracks and a vocal track. I'm hoping I get the time to make it much better because it was a long time coming to write and if I can be super lame for a minute it's about a lot of shit that happened over 2012. FUCK IT, I'M DRUNK AND  YOUNG. 

The fact is this is only being written because I could not fight the urge to pop into Starbucks 2 hours before my shift at Second Cup begins. I don't even care about money anymore.

My dad recently returned from being in South Africa for 3 months reconnecting with his homeland and spending time with my sister who was doing an internship (or whatever) there. He's a little shell shocked by the weather but is adjusting well; he's a pretty seasoned traveller, that one. I don't know if that was the proper use of a semi colon, but you can royally fuck off if it wasn't.

I went home today just for a few hours to spend some time with him and have tea, because that's what dapper lads like us do. In a house of boys, you drink tea, bro. My 20th birthday is in one week today and I'll admit I've been a little lost over the years with what I'd like to do with my life, but I realize more and more that it's a common thing. Not for people our age, even. Just...a common thing. I always get told "you'll figure it out" but it's just one of those things you don't even know how to approach, and it seems ridiculous to even try to do so as it is quite literally your entire life. 

If you know Franzy boy, you know he is...intense. This whole time I've been going to school I've been pretty freaked out about how he feels about my studies and how he's viewed me when I break the usually bad news about my lacklustre grades. Lately things in school have been going really well (I think) which is a bloody nice change, let me tell you. So as I left after our brodeo tea time, we hugged. I love hugs, especially when the one I am hugging is even marginally close to my 6'5 height. I made a joke saying something like "I'm 20 next week dad, and what on Earth have I even done?". He laughed nervously, let me walk away a few steps to gather my things and said:

"You know I'm fine with all that. It's not about formal education, it's about education. You know what you don't want to do, and that's what's important. You can be 55 and still have no idea what the hell you want to do." 

And just like that I felt really, really okay. Coming from the one dude I try my hardest to impress and feel down when I'd come up short, he just told me I'll be okay, and that what I'm doing is okay. I realize I have learned a ton. Just about  life, what it can do to people. What it does to me.

What do I want to do with it? I don't know. Be happy, mainly. I've realized I love to talk about wine, I love computers, to make people smile and laugh and do all of these things while strumming the guitars I bought that I can't actually afford alongside my best friend. 

Although everyone reading this is not a starving child in a developing country, life is still really tough. Life brings you up and deflates you, knocking chips off the main block to sculpt the figure that is you, and put it through the harshest of motions. I've been on top of the world and I've had life kick the shit out of me to the point where you finally see clearly and laugh hysterically at yourself for even trying to see past tomorrow. 

He also said "I know you're going to be famous one day, but just study until then, okay?". Laughter...

So what am I doing? Haha...just having a shot at it, man. Same as you.

For some comic relief after that hunk of literature, I'd like to bring up the point of why the FUCK people think hot tubs are sexy. Oh yeah baby, let's be really minimally clothed in a very small body of water while we sweat out on average a pint every hour and let it once more seep into our skin and create this beautifully majestic frothy foam to top this romantic love latte we're bathing in. Also, your skin just feels amazingly DRY and SCALED afterwards due to the Chernobyl caliber chemicals that are free roaming in there. Unless of course you monitor the water of your erotic oasis closely enough to keep all the levels perfect, which no one fucking does. 

I love hot tubs, seriously that shit is a worthy investment. 

Keep the memories in your bones.

M

p.s. this post was actually a huge hint drop that my birthday is next Sunday so let's go get me something nice, okay? 

Here's a pic of a punk celebrity: 

Yes yes Mr. Climatology. The world is burning before us and yet we sit here with our 4 digit laptops and full screen phones sending emoticons to lovers and talking behind each other's backs. 

Let's talk about being YOUNG, right? YEAH being a fucking WILD CHILD, YEAH. There is a very fine line of going wild on a weekend or a certain celebratory event and having a good time, and being a total ass. Lately over and after a weekend I've found myself having to send out apologetic texts and such for things I, in my own mind, formulated to be things that if were directed at me I would have labelled as very questionable and probably quite crass. 

I think the "fuck it, I'm young" excuse worked a lot better back in the day. Blaming things on your age instead of your own mindset can get a little funky at times. Smoking cigarettes now will probably make the habit set in for the rest of your life, firing off joints every afternoon will no doubt mess with your schedule for all things important that one should be focused on, but I get it. This is the time for that kind of thing, sure. It's a tough line to make out. It's just lamer now, getting drunk and shooting off a mass message saying someone is being an asshole, sending garbled drunken texts to a girl you like asking "how are you" at 3am is probably not the most discrete way to go about that whole scene. Getting royally pissed because someone isn't answering their phone past midnight, or at 8am on a Sunday. I don't know. We can all be pretty ridiculously unreasonable. It's just annoying at times, and although I am guilty of everything I ever write about, I wish we could just all get together, put our phones in a box and just make a night of it. It probably won't ever happen because I fucking LOVE instagram but such is life now. How do you feel about that? I don't think there's a "we could do that if we wanted to" thought about it. I believe this is truly just how our lives are now and it's very exciting and utterly crushing at the same time. This is what it's like to be young now, and it's good incentive to grow the hell up. But also it's fun. WHAT AM I SAYING. You should want to grow up. 

You know what? Just be rad. Don't be a dick. But, be a dick. When you have to be. You cannot go through life without sometimes being a dick. Sometimes people need to be shot off their high rise stands, I know I do. Once in a while I just need a "Marco, you just need to shut up." moment. I get that. I strive to be a fine human but there's a twinge of "well if you're not going to be one why should I?" which is understandable. You can't be perfect, yet we all know that and still try to be. Resilience. That's admirable. Just don't beat yourself up when you realize it won't happen. If you don't know the person next to you, you can't label yourself as better than them. If you do know the person, you don't know them well enough to label yourself as better them, and you probably never will. WHAT OF IT.

I need to do some Christmas shopping pronto. 

Watch this video and laugh. HARD.

Listen to this band and enjoy it. MUCHLY. 

I'm off for my 2nd latte of the day. Ideal coffee on Dalhousie makes the best latte in the city. And my day job is making lattes, so that's saying something. I like to think I make good lattes.  If any of you jerks ever visited me at work you could maybe attest to that. But I understand the need to get the perfect photo of your starbucks cup. You love starbucks so much but you'd never work there. Fascinating. I'm being a dick. Fuck it, I'm young.

Here's a video of myself and some good friends playing a cover of Coldplay's "Fix you" and I totally fucked up my first note. It's Wilson's channel and he has cool covers of cool songs filmed in cool HD.

Here's a pic of said performance:

Keep the memories in your bones, don't be a dick. 

M

So let's pick it up. I am now at Kanata Honda watching the good old band wagon get lifted up and beautified for winter. I really like Honda to be honest. They are quick with their services and don't charge an arm and a leg. Also for a winter tire switch, oil change with filter replacement and brake inspection (and probable replacement) it's going to be under 3 hours. That's quite quick. I remember when we had a Subaru about a year back and just a service and headlight replacement was close to 5 hours. It was really just generally the dumbest amount of time required. Also there was this classic sleazy car salesman whose hair was awful and to which mine probably now closely resembles.

Anyways.

Some fine friends and I went down to Toronto this weekend mainly for a headlining concert of my favourite band without question, the Gaslight Anthem. Seeing them twice in 3 months was pretty radical. They're just...so good. I can't really explain it. It'd be like explaining who your favourite band is. Because to you it's not just music, you know? You appreciate the people in the band as well as the music itself. How it takes you from nothing to something. The show was utterly fantastic, 2 hours long and all my FAV TUNES were played live right in front of me (there was no way we weren't snagging the front rail) and then we went home with a buzz on. The lads of the Anthem were on fire, cracking jokes left and right and sincerely enjoying themselves. They played well, too. If I had a song to recommend for a first time listener...just youtube the band name and click whatever pops up you probably won't be disappointed and if you are get the hell off this blog (it's okay if you're not a fan) (no it's not). 

This lady across from me is breathing so loudly. I wonder if she is sleeping with her eyes open. Like Gandalf. 

Roaming Toronto was pretty fun. I'm not usually a big fan of larger cities but nonetheless there was lots to look at. We brought my video camera but we were too dumb to actually roll it when we were in Toronto so we just took videos (Graeme took videos) while driving to and fro which you can watch here. Sushi happened, Gracie's happened (that DID happen, right?) and practically burning our disposable income happened.

Now that I'm back, I don't really know what to say. My family gets back on the 7th after being gone since August and I really have no idea how I'm going to react. It will be fine I just know my dad will head back to work VERY grudgingly.

I need a bloody haircut.

I play a coffee house tonight and have zero idea what song to perform, but it'll be Gaslight. Probably.

It's nearly 1am and I must arise at 7am in order to make my car service appointment at 8am in Kanata. I don't know why I do this to myself, but lately I've just been incapable of good rest or sleep. Stared at a lot of highway this weekend, and way WAY too much coffee. Of course this is a slippery slope as you wake up feeling like a train wreck and then buy more coffee...

Anyways, entertain me with this post and make me feel better about weekend induced insomnia. 


Sayings I hate:

"Dope"-most uses of the term. Mainly: "that's dope" or "most dope". Shut up. You're not Mac Miller. He is a plug. Don't be a plug.

"Reach"-mainly "hope you guys can reach tonight." "It'd be dope if Tdawg could reach tonight" "I'm at goodlife. Reaaaaaach". Just..say what you mean to say. How's the fohawk?

"Grab"- mainly "Let's go grab." Just say you're going to purchase alcoholic beverages. Just say that.

"Mucking"- think mommy would be happy to know you enjoyed "mucking her meal?". Personally I'd think you were doing something completely different with mommy. 

Sayings I love:

"Plug."- see all sayings above.


Fight me.



Here's a really great photo Graeme snapped of my dog and I this morning. 

I'm going to bed. Real post laaaaatteeeeeeerrrrrr.

Everyone does their own thing in the morning. Some are motivated enough to wake up earlier than usual and get some work done, others to go work out, others to make an unusually glorious breakfast that is time consuming. Fact is, I was supposed to be awake at 5am to go open Second Cup but a fine friend switched shifts with me so I could enjoy the Who concert last night in full time glory. 

My morning started at 10am with a incredibly lacklustre attempt of getting my laptop out of my backpack with one hand (that took a WHILE) to write this as well as see what kind of facebook action happened overnight. I really don't use facebook that often anymore except for the sole purpose of messaging friends. facebook is annoying. facebook causes useless drama because some girl you don't know liked your boyfriend's picture and is a definite cause to believe she wants to fondle his chopper and nibble his ear. Lads, don't ever leave your facebook open to a girl's profile and walk away for someone else to see it. That means you've no doubt gone through every single photo she has up on there dating back to the high school dance with her first boyfriend but that's alright, because now you know what you're up against. Spend your time elsewhere, like writing a shitty blog (hehe). 

I really do love the morning time but there are some days when you just mutter "fuck it" and refuse to leave your bed, even if you know you really need a shower or  your stomach is making you nauseous because it's like "yeah..still need to get fed.". Graeme is still asleep (it's 11:54am) so there's that. What a..trooper..yeah.

I have this thing where I refuse to stay in bed past noon (I'm sitting on my bed now HA). Sometimes I wake up past noon, more often than not after acting the fool at a local cocktail party, but that's alright. I find myself waking up early because I am just so very excited to road trip to Toronto this weekend. I've never found myself really wanting to visit the big Canadian city but for some reason...I am really thrilled to be going. 

Anyhow, I've killed 2 episodes of the Walking Dead (all caught up now!) and it's time to shower and hit the workplace with similar lacklustre to the one armed laptop jiggle. 

Fake smiles, fake problems, expensive coffees. 

Keep the memories in your bones.

M

It's climatology class which means it's time to blog. 

On Friday I handed in a paper on how the legalization of prostitution in Amsterdam has shaped its city space and economy that was worth 40% of my grade in that class. I had been slaving all week staying up later then I ever have for homework every night of the week but I feel it is a solid B level paper. I would like to thank editor in chief of PC Gamer magazine Mr. Logan Decker, a rock legend, for taking the time to proof read it and throw me ideas..they went a long way! That is a pretty huge deal to me and I think it's cool to become good acquaintances with someone solely through the internet and similar interests. Logan, you're pretty.


Needless to say Friday night I let bloody loose. A fine friend of mine and her pretty roommates decided to host a cocktail party involving flattering attire and tasty appetizers. Mixing gin and tonics on the side porch in the dark was a fascinating experience as you never quite knew how much gin was going into the drink...it was like a fun surprise every time. As I finished cans of tonic water I would drunkenly throw them at what I thought was my car parked on the curb. Sarah, the fine friend and one of 4 hostesses came outside and promptly told me I cannot throw cans at cars, to which I retorted "Sarah it's not a crime to throw cans at my OWN car!"

I drive a silver mini van (and I'm proud of that).

The car being hit with my empty tonic water cans was a hot red 2 door coupe.

Go fucking figure.

FROM THERE was the arrival of my roommate and other half Graemeth as well as the unexpected arrival of a friend we have all been missing, Christineth. Shots of tequila from the bottle and impromptu wine occurred and by that time I was feeling bloody ridiculous. A sober friend, Taylor, drove us to the Elgin Street Diner where a completely unneeded breakfast sandwich was consumed and a second sandwich ordered to go which I drunkenly delivered to a hostess who said she was hungry. After that...blur. I awoke with what felt like twin horns growing out of my head and the car in the driveway, so I'm assuming it got there 100% legally. (It did)

I left the righteous Temple at 3:15 pm and the Sun was already setting. I didn't mind though, this was what I needed and wanted after such a week of stressful nights and pounding the backspace button cursing my thoughts and ideas for not being academically astute enough. 

Saturday night was the 007 Drinking game with Graemeth. Slept until noon, went home, saw Skyfall, drank wine, slept until 7am today and here I am.

This week is filled with a lack of stress and good times. Wednesday night is the Who show which should be absolutely unreal. Unfortunately I'll be missing my favourite local bands and a ShackTac session but such is life sometimes. This weekend is a road trip to Toronto to see a headlining Gaslight Anthem show, which will probably be the best concert of my entire life. So far. I don't go to Toronto often but I have a good feeling about this visit! Seeing some fine friends and taking some with me as well. 

I hope you all have a grand week as well. If you've got term papers, pound them. Ask friends for insight or to take a look at it. Another set of eyes really helps you out, it seems. 

Keep the memories in your bones.

M

i'm beautiful no matter what they say. 2000 more words to go on this paper about how legalized prostitution shapes the city of Amsterdam and benefits it as a legitimate business.

it was my dad's idea.

always, always wear a fucking condom. not some other kind. a fucking kind.

i am getting so drunk friday.

ke

hellooooooooo monday. i jolted awake at 4:30am thinking i felt as if it were much later and that i had missed my opening shift, and thus lost my job. it's weird to open your eyes and immediately be the pessimist. the fact is i had a full hour and 15 minutes before i had to even shamble up the road to work. i lay there until 5:15am pondering how bad it would be if my dream state event actually unfolded in reality, and that was enough to get me up and moving to prevent that ever happening. 2 glasses of OJ and a bagel later i was walking in my full black attire to the workplace to make heavy milky drinks people don't actually need in a large size and half sweet latte modifications that people can't notice. if you are willing to pay 5.25$ for a large flavoured latte that will be luke warm by the time you are half way through it, you are an idiot. for the record, there is more caffeine in coffee than espresso. if you really want to get jolted awake, have a cup of coffee. or get real and just do espresso shots. as soon as the milk hits the espresso it loses its kick in under 30 seconds. keep that one in mind. moving forward.


a girl named Tanya left a coffee cup sleeve at the table she was sitting at on saturday when i closed the store down. the sleeve said that i should text her, followed by a smiley face and a number. although i have no idea who this girl is or what she looks like, i found that to be very flattering and smooth. that doesn't happen much anymore, does it? unfortunately i do not believe i will pursue this number but it will be one for the books. moving forward.

friday night was the world infamous Stittsville Show, where a bunch of bands play this tiny room in a basement for fun and no one really cares how good anyone sounds. it's fun to meet up with friends of old and thrash around and support each other. the nice boys in Rydell were there doing what they do best, and it sounds like they've done really well for themselves with their newly released EP that you can and should find here. before them played another local band i had never heard of before called Neighbours (find their demo here), and they killed it. they dropped a blink 182 cover and were generally really tight and fun, even if they did have to tell these two drunken idiots to stop grabbing at their fan girls (no, i was not one of them. maybe.). all flies at the rock show. the singer shouted "please don't hold any animosity to anyone for what goes on in the pit!" and jump kicked into another fast paced single pedal punk song. they sounded like friday night. moving forward.

saturday night was the Tanya sleeve and suiting up with some old friends post workplace. they're a pretty rad group of individuals i became very close with during high school and it's awesome that we can all still pick it up after so long and just enjoy ourselves. my friend Jessica, god bless her, had a few (a lot) glasses in her and when i showed her the Tanya sleeve exclaimed at the top of her lungs "TANYA AND HER SEXY PUSSAY" and i didn't really know how to feel. sorry Tanya. the lads and i went ahead and polished off a half bottle of Canadian Club whiskey and then our minds went ahead and fucked off. all i know is ended up eating a poutine, not paying attention to my phone as much as i should have and somehow not staining my blazer. 

i have my first 10+page paper due this friday and i haven't even started thinking about it. i've fired off the outline to my ultra smart sister and father and am hoping they channel their gifts into my mind and i can let the fingers fly. after this week i am pretty much home free until finals and plan on obliterating the universe friday night. that's pretty much all there is to me right now.

it would be really cool if you gave those bands a listen. no, they don't sound like Bon Iver or Mumford. no, it's not really something you'd listen to before going to sleep but it's good music and you should always keep your ears open to the locals. they're good guys putting themselves out there and trying something really daring that they'll sink thousands of dollars into before seeing one penny back. but, it's pretty obvious they're doing what they love which i think is a lot more than we can say about what we do day to day (schhoooooooooool)

thanks for reading!

keep the memories in your bones.

M